Worcester to lift indoor mask mandate Feb. 18
Photo | Grant Welker
Signs enforcing the indoor mask mandate at Shaw's supermarket
The Worcester Board of Health voted Monday night to lift the citywide indoor mask mandate effective Feb. 18.
The board voted 3-2 in favor of rescinding the mandate after City Manager Ed Augustus and Medical Director Michael Hirsh had requested a review.
Dr. Hirsh issued the emergency order requiring masks in public indoor spaces on Sept. 20, 2021.
Once the lifted mandate goes into effect, Worcester will adhere to the state’s ongoing mask advisory, which encourages, but does not require, residents to wear a mask indoors, according to the city website.
The City will continue requiring masks inside all schools, and the Board of Health voted 3-2 against a proposal to lift the school mask mandate on Feb. 28.
Masks are still required on public transportation and ride shares, per state and federal regulations.
Worcester’s seven-day average COVID-19 case count is about 135, less than half of what it was the previous week. When the mask mandate was announced in September, the seven-day average case count was 78.
The city’s vaccination rate has risen from 52% to 60% over the duration of the mask mandate, but is still well below the state vaccination average of 76%.
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