FRAMINGHAM, MA — At a special meeting requested by Mayor Charlie Sisitsky, the Framingham Board of Health (BOH) voted Tuesday to ratify the Mayor’s decision to rescind two Executive Orders mandating masks, effective at 12:01 am on March 7, 2022.
The current Joint Executive Order #EO2022-001, designed to decrease the surge of the COVID Omicron variant, has remained in effect since January 14. It requires mandatory wearing of masks by staff and customers aged two (2) and over in municipal buildings and all public indoor establishments in the City of Framingham.
Executive Order #EO2021-003, enacted by former Mayor Yvonne Spicer on August 4, 2021, and ratified by the Board of Health, mandated wearing of masks inside municipal buildings. The Board of Health agreed with Mayor Sisitsky’s recommendation to rescind that order on March 7 as well.
The Mayor’s request to the Board of Health came after weeks of continuous conversation and collaboration between Mayor Sisitsky, Superintendent of Schools Bob Tremblay, and Department of Public Health Director Alexandra DePalo. Given the spikes in COVID-19 cases that have historically occurred after school vacation breaks, the Mayor and Superintendent felt masks would be an important strategy for curbing a potential increase in the week after families return from vacation breaks.
Superintendent Tremblay announced on February 18 that masks will become optional for students, teachers, and staff in Framingham Public Schools on March 7.
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Source: Framingham civic alert