After March 21, masks will be optional at City buildings and events

With COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations down, the City of Somerville will lift its mask requirement for city buildings and events starting Monday, March 21. This means all city-issued mask mandates are now either lifted or set to lift. Some federal and state mask requirements remain in effect. 

Previously, the Board of Health ended the mask mandate for privately owned indoor public spaces such as restaurants and stores as of March 5. The Somerville School Committee voted to make masks optional in Somerville Public Schools starting Monday, March 14. The decisions to lift the local mask mandates follow current guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

Federal and State requirements still apply for masking in certain settings such as mass transit, rideshares, medical settings, and adult daycare. Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms, a positive test, or known exposure to COVID-19 should also delay in-person activities. Wait until you are symptom-free and have completed quarantine as described at cdc.gov/coronavirus before heading out without a mask. 

Individuals remain free to wear a mask, and private businesses are also allowed to establish their own mask requirements, to best serve their health and safety needs. 

Persons who are immunocompromised or at higher risk of severe illness, and those who live with or spend time with them, may wish to continue masking in indoor settings. Persons at higher risk for severe illness include seniors, persons with underlying health conditions, pregnant or recently pregnant people, and people who are not vaccinated.

“Vaccination has played a significant role in driving down COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, and especially with the masks coming off, it remains more important than ever that we all stay up to date with the vaccines. Please be sure to get vaccinated and boosted when you are eligible so that you can continue to protect yourselves, your neighbors, and our incredibly dedicated healthcare workers,” said Mayor Katjana Ballantyne. 

For more coronavirus and vaccine information, visit somervillema.gov/COVID19 or somervillema.gov/vaccine and sign up for City alerts at somervillema.gov/Alerts. We urge you to sign up for every alert method you are able to receive: phone call, text, email. Also follow FB.com/SomervilleCity and @SomervilleCity.