Baker Still A 'No' On Statewide Mask Mandate

Peabody MA

16 August, 2021

11:44 AM

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PEABODY, MA — Mask mandates are better left to local municipalities this time around, as COVID-19 cases increase and the severity of most decrease. Baker said he is not thinking about issuing a statewide mask mandate. Massachusetts, he said, is in a "dramatically different place" for the renewed surge than other states despite the rise in cases. "I'm not considering changing the mask mandate at this time," Baker said at a Monday morning press conference in Peabody. The Republican governor pointed to the state's higher vaccination rate as to what sets it apart from other states. Under the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, everyone in Massachusetts should be wearing masks indoors. But Baker, unlike earlier in the pandemic, is allowing local leaders to determine how their communities move forward. "We've generally taken the position that we establish what I consider to be a statewide standard or statewide recommendation and then we let the locals make the call that makes the most sense for them," Baker said. Many have made those calls. More and more communities are issuing different mask mandates since the highly publicized delta variant-driven outbreak last month in Provincetown. Baker's only recommendation is for people who are themselves or are in close contact with those who are unvaccinated or at high risk for serious health complications to wear masks. With school around the corner, districts are also weighing mask policies for the fall. The Massachusetts Association of School Committees is recommending students and staff wear masks indoors. There has been no COVID-19 vaccine approved for children under 12.