Masks Now Required In All Framingham Civic Buildings

Framingham MA

05 August, 2021

8:31 AM

Description

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Framingham is bringing back a mask requirement as coronavirus cases associated with the Delta variant rise across the city and state. Mayor Yvonne Spicer issued an order Wednesday requiring masks in all municipal buildings, including City Hall, both library branches, the Callahan Center, parks and recreation facilities and police and fire stations. The order applies to visitors, but also city employees. Gov. Charlie Baker ended the statewide mask mandate at the end of May. But coronavirus cases have been rising in recent weeks due to the more contagious Delta variant. Over the week ending Wednesday, 40 new cases had appeared in Framingham, and there were 64 active cases across the city — there were 43 active cases just one week ago. The state added nearly 1,000 new cases on Wednesday, one of the highest daily totals in months. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has rated Middlesex County as having "substantial" coronavirus transmission rates — and the agency recommends that even fully vaccinated people wear masks indoors and in public if they live in an area with "substantial" or "high" transmission levels. Framingham's new mask order does not apply to people under age 5 and people with health conditions — like breathing difficulty or a mental health disorder — that prevent them from wearing a mask.