Norwalk Mask Mandate To Be Lifted Thursday: Mayor

NORWALK, CT — Norwalk will lift its city-wide mask mandate late Thursday night as cases of the coronavirus throughout the city continue to decline, according to Mayor Harry Rilling.

In an announcement Thursday afternoon, Rilling said the mask mandate will officially be lifted Thursday at 11:59 p.m.

Rilling noted the decision comes after a sustained decline in COVID-19 case rates in both the city and the surrounding area, as well as increased vaccination rates among Norwalk residents.

"After reviewing the latest data and meeting with our local health department and medical advisors, I have decided to lift the city-wide mask mandate," Rilling said in a statement. "We will continue to watch the data closely, as my administration has done throughout the pandemic, and will keep the public updated."

Rilling also advised residents to remain cautious and be mindful of the most vulnerable members of the Norwalk community, some of which are immunocompromised or may not be able to get vaccinated.

"Norwalk remains a mask-supportive environment, and wearing an N95 or KN95 mask is still the most effective way to protect yourself from COVID-19 and slow community spread," Rilling said. "Let's continue to work together to put the health and safety of our neighbors first, and thank you to the residents of Norwalk for your patience and cooperation over the past two years."

Rilling's statement also emphasized vaccines as "an essential tool to get back to normalcy" and urged Norwalk residents of all ages to get vaccinated and, if eligible, boosted.

The city continues to provide free COVID-19 vaccine clinics at Veteran's Park on Monday, Tuesday and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. through its partnership with Community Health Center, Inc. Further information can be found at norwalk.org/vaccine.

The city's Board of Education has scheduled a special meeting to discuss Norwalk Public Schools' action plan for COVID-19 safety protocols for Thursday at 5 p.m. The meeting will be streamed on the Norwalk Public Schools official Youtube page.