New CDC Mask Guidelines: Will There Be a New MA Mask Mandate?

Two months ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had lifted nearly all rules regarding masks. But on Tuesday, it changed course, recommending that they be worn indoors in parts of the country with high transmission rates, even for people who've been vaccinated.

The CDC guidance that people wear masks in indoor public places applies in parts of the country with at least 50 new cases per 100,000 people in the last week. That includes 60% of U.S. counties, officials said.

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In places with high transmission rates for COVID-19, fully vaccinated people are advised to wear masks indoors again.

Though New England has been among the most vaccinated parts of the country for months, several of its counties, including five in Massachusetts, qualify. However, three New England states don't have any counties that reach the threshold.

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As of Tuesday night, none of New England's governors had issued new mask guidance -- for indoor gatherings or for K-12 schools, where the CDC also recommended everyone wear masks this fall, regardless of vaccine status.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention update their mask guidelines on Tuesday, July 27, in light of surges of hyper-contagious delta variant. The CDC now recommends both unvaccinated and vaccinated Americans wear masks indoors in public settings.

Here is where New England's states stand, based on CDC data showing where COVID transmission is substantial (50-99 cases per 100,000 people) or high transmission (100+ cases per 100,000 people) as of Tuesday evening.

Massachusetts

The five counties that qualify in Massachusetts are Barnstable, which has high COVID transmission, as well as Suffolk, Bristol, Nantucket and Dukes counties, each in the substantial zone.

A few cities and towns have recently issued mask advisories or mandates in response to rising COVID testing rates, including Provincetown, the tourist destination with a cluster that's tied to more than 750 cases as of Tuesday.

The CDC's new mask guidance is important, even if Massachusetts is in relatively good shape, said Dr. George Abraham, of Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester.

"People are traveling all over the country, so they're going to bring back virus with them. People from the unvaccinated states will come up here," he said.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker says there is no plan to roll back COVID-19 restrictions statewide, but Boston Mayor Kim Janey said children will have to wear masks in the city's schools this fall.

More than 200 medical and public health experts wrote to Gov. Charlie Baker and Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley Tuesday asking for a mask mandate in schools this year.

"This change will be beneficial, helping keep our children in school, without hybrid learning or long quarantines – but only if masks are mandatory," Quincy pediatrician Dr. Natalya Davis said in one letter.

New Hampshire

Belknap County, with substantial transmission, is the only New Hampshire county that meets the CDC metric for recommended mask use.

Maine

In Maine, York and Piscatiquis counties meet the CDC threshold for mask use indoors.

The state's top public health official, Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah, reportedly told the Bangor City Council Monday that a return to indoor mask use is likely coming even for fully vaccinated residents.

It wasn't that long ago that masks were required. They became less prevalent as vaccinations ramped up, but with cases back on the rise, they're becoming mandatory again indoors in certain places like Provincetown. The TEN takes a look at the state of the coronavirus pandemic.