The Mask Mandate for Winchester will be lifted on Monday, February 21, 2022. After reviewing local and state COVID data, the Board of Health voted unanimously on February 17, 2022, to rescind the current requirement for everyone to mask in indoor public places.
Winchester will follow the mask advisory of the MA Department of Public Health found here: COVID-19 Mask Requirements | Mass.gov
MUNICIPAL MASK MANDATE
The Winchester Board of Health voted to lift the Town-wide mask mandate effective Monday, February 21, 2022.
Out of an abundance of caution and given the timing of the upcoming February school vacation and potential for case upticks, masks will continue to be required for staff and visitors regardless of vaccination status inside Town Hall, DPW, Winchester Public Library, and in the lobby and common areas of the Public Safety Building until Monday, March 14th.
After that time, Winchester municipal buildings will follow the mask advisory of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MA DPH) found here: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-mask-requirements.
MA DPH advises in part:
- A fully vaccinated person should wear a mask or face covering when indoors (and not in your own home) if you have a weakened immune system, if you are at increased risk for severe disease because of your age or an underlying medical condition, or if someone in your household has a weakened immune system and is at increased risk for severe disease or is unvaccinated.
- Individuals who are not fully vaccinated should continue to wear a face covering or mask when indoors with others to help prevent spreading COVID-19.
- Individuals who have tested positive or are a close contact of someone with COVID-19 must follow the isolation and quarantine guidance which includes wearing a mask in public for five more days after leaving isolation or quarantine on Day 5, regardless of vaccination status.
- All people in Massachusetts (regardless of vaccination status) are required to continue wearing face coverings in certain settings, including on public transportation and in health care facilities. Please see www.mass.gov/maskrules for a complete list of venues where face coverings have remained mandatory since May 29, 2021.
Please note that the School Department and Recreation Department will be developing a separate policy for the schools and recreational programs based on state guidance.