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Date: 3/2/2022
EASTHAMPTON – During their Feb. 22 meeting, the Easthampton Board of Health elected to immediately lift their mask mandate, which has been in place since September.
According to a press release on the city’s website, Easthampton is aligning their recommendations with the current Mass. Department of Public Health advisory, which was updated on Feb. 15 to no longer advise individuals to mask indoors.
The updated guidance recommends that unvaccinated individuals continue to wear masks while indoors, as well as vaccinated individuals with weakened immune systems and those who are at increased risk of severe illness.
In her latest COVID-19 dashboard for the city, contracted epidemiologist Megan Harvey noted a “substantial” drop in cases and percent positivity within Easthampton. Additionally, the city has a high vaccination rate with 90 percent of residents with at least one dose, 80.1 percent fully vaccinated and 50.5 percent fully vaccinated and boosted.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health still requires masks to be worn, regardless of vaccination status, on public and private transportation, healthcare facilities, congregate care facilities, emergency shelter programs, correctional facilities, health care, day services and programs operated and regulated by the commonwealth and home health care workers.
“Our infection rates are low … our vaccination rates are high,” said Board of Health member Aimee Petrosky. “There’s access to at-home testing … there’s still access to the PCR testing … For two years we’ve been talking about all of those pieces as part of the puzzle … I think overall, the data that Megan presented is spot on.”
Despite the lifting of the mandate, the Board of Health agreed that businesses still have the opportunity to implement their own mandate or list of guidance for the public to follow.
The announcement does not apply to Easthampton Public Schools, as their policy is separate from what the Board of Health votes on. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) elected to lift the statewide school mask mandate on Feb. 28, but Easthampton Public Schools will still have a mask mandate until their next School Committee meeting on March 8.
During the meeting, Board of Health Chair Maggie Hebert originally felt more comfortable waiting to lift the citywide mask mandate until the week of March 8 to align with whatever the School Committee votes. A policy subcommittee meeting on March 1 allowed the school district to consider a mask-optional policy to replace the current mask mandate that has been in place since the beginning of the pandemic in Easthampton schools. The School Committee will talk about that option during their March 8 meeting.
Prior to the Board of Health making the vote, Superintendent Allison LeClair noted that a citywide lifted mandate would present challenges over the next week-and-a-half until the School Committee takes a vote because it would create mixed messaging throughout the school district.
“I think the challenge for us would be any mixed messages next week if the city no longer has a mask mandate, yet we are still expecting students to walk in the door with masks next week,” said LeClair, adding that the district tests about 1,400 students and staff a week. “It will be a challenging week-and-a-half.”
The Board of Health ultimately decided to rescind the mandate immediately since students and staff will have to wear masks anyway until the March 8 School Committee meeting.
The town of Southampton also elected to rescind their mask mandate during their Board of Health meeting on Feb. 22. According to a Facebook post from Kate Swistak-Rooks, the chair of the town’s Board of Health, children in schools and daycares will still need to follow recommendations as outlined by DESE and the Department of Early Childhood Education.
The town’s Board of Health is also aligning its recommendations with the state’s Department of Public Health, much like Easthampton’s Board of Health is doing. Southampton also boasts a high vaccination rate, with 87 percent of residents receiving at least one dose, 79 percent being fully vaccinated and 48 percent being fully vaccinated or boosted.
“While the mask mandate is being rescinded, taking precautions and remaining vigilant, especially in crowds and while traveling, will help keep case numbers and hospitalizations at bay and will help the community to keep moving forward,” said Swistak-Rooks. “Supporting each individual in the decisions they make will promote community unity and togetherness, which is just as important in helping us to heal from the profound impacts of this pandemic.”