MA To End Statewide School Sports Indoor Mask Requirement

MASSACHUSETTS — The winter high school basketball, hockey and other indoor sports tournaments will go mask-optional across the state starting in March in cities and towns where there is no local mandate requiring them.

Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Executive Director Robert Baldwin said on Friday that in line with changing Department of Elementary and Secondary Education guidance athletes participating in winter indoor sports will no longer be required to wear masks during competitions starting on Feb. 28.

However, masks will still be required for teams — both home and visiting — when playing inside schools where local districts have chosen to extend their mask orders beyond Feb. 28. This also goes with any venues that require proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter and participate in athletics.

"As we navigate the winter statewide tournament, we will adhere to host school- and venue-specific restrictions," Baldwin said. "Member schools will need to communicate with and respect the specific protocols set forth at the local level. Anyone who chooses to wear a mask may continue to do so."

While some districts such as Beverly and Peabody have already said they will go mask-optional on Feb. 28, others like Boston and Melrose plan to extend their mask orders for inside school buildings.

Several potential tournament venues at colleges also have mask and vaccination requirements to be allowed inside campus buildings. Swimmers who qualify for the state championships to be held at Boston University later this month, for instance, will be required to show proof of coronavirus vaccination in order to compete.

MIAA Director of Communications Tara Bennett told Patch late last month that while the MIAA will seek out venues that are as accessible as possible, Boston University is one of the only sites in the state capable of hosting a swim meet of that size.

"As we have learned throughout this ordeal, we will continue to monitor facts that we receive to inform future decision-making," Baldwin said. "I would like to commend the perseverance and understanding of all stakeholders as you have attempted to adhere to the arduous task of masking guidelines during this winter athletic season."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)