BOSTON (AP) — A city order that required people to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces in Boston, including restaurants, shops, museums and entertainment venues, was lifted Saturday.
City public health Commissioner Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, in conjunction with the city health board, made the decision earlier this week citing a steep decline in new coronavirus infections and hospitalizations as well as high vaccination rates.
“All of our key metrics are moving in the right direction,” Ojikutu said at the meeting.
The masking requirement will also be lifted at many city buildings, including for city workers, except those where vulnerable populations are served.
The city still recommends masking for people at high risk of becoming sick.
“While masks are no longer mandated in certain indoor settings, the Boston Public Health Commission recommends masking in these settings if you are at high risk for severe illness or if you will be around individuals who are,” the board said.
Also, individual businesses and other venues can continue to require masks for their customers.
The lifting of the mask mandate comes about two weeks after the city ended its proof-of-vaccination requirement for restaurants, gyms, entertainment venues and some other businesses.
Masks are still required on public transportation, in health care and congregate living facilities, and in the city’s public schools. The health board has scheduled a meeting March 9 to discuss school masking policy.
The latest indoor masking policy took effect last August.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
For all the latest Life Style News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
Denial of responsibility! NewsBit.us is an automatic aggregator around the global media. All the content are available free on Internet. We have just arranged it in one platform for educational purpose only. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, all materials to their authors. If you are the owner of the content and do not want us to publish your materials on our website, please contact us by email – [email protected]. The content will be deleted within 24 hours.
