Framingham Will End City Mask Mandate In March
FRAMINGHAM, MA — The Framingham Board of Health on Tuesday voted to end two local mask mandates by March 7, which aligns with the end of mandatory masking in Framingham Public Schools.
Mayor Charlie Sisitsky asked the Board of Health to meet in special session on Tuesday over rescinding a mask mandate that applies to all public places — grocery stores, restaurants, houses of worship — and a separate mandate covering municipal buildings.
The board vote was unanimous to end the mandates, with members of the board citing rapidly declining case numbers as a major reason.
The end date on March 7 was purposeful, giving Framingham at least one week distance from the end of midwinter school vacation. Big COVID-19 spikes have in the past coincided with holidays and other events, the board members said. Framingham Public Schools on Friday announced that masks would become optional on March 7.
There were only two from the public who spoke at the meeting about the mandate. Resident Dhruba Sen asked the board to consider loosening the mandate but not lifting it altogether. Another person spoke out against mask mandates broadly.
Board member Dr. David Moore said that masks offer good protection against virus — he wore one for years working as an orthopedic surgeon working in Framingham, he noted.
"They're a sign of being protective of other people as you breathe out, and making sure when you breathe in, there's something stopping what other people have broadcasted near you," Moore said.
Mask mandates are falling across Massachusetts due to declining cases. Health officials are still advising people with compromised immune systems to wear masks. They are also encouraging residents to get fully vaccinated and boosted, which is the best way to prevent a serious COVID-19 illness or death.
"Wearing a mask is a perfectly good idea," Health Director Alexandra DePalo said. "We just want to support people in their decision to do that."
Moore said he'll still be wearing an N95 mask — the gold standard for personal safety — for five to six more weeks.
"There is still a great deal of virus around despite the markedly improved numbers," Moore said.
There will still be mask mandates covering some spaces in Framingham. A federal mandate requires masks on all public transit and school buses, and a state mandate requires masks in medical settings, including school nurses offices.
This article originally appeared on the Framingham Patch
