Boston Residents Brace To Break Out The Masks Again

BOSTON — Face coverings will be mandatory in all public places in Boston once again starting Friday.

Both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals will be required to wear a mask or face covering anytime they enter a restaurant, gym, museum or store in the city beginning at 8 a.m.

Acting Mayor Kim Janey reimposed the indoor mask mandate last week because of an increase in COVID-19 cases driven by the highly contagious delta variant.

While Janey explained the COVID-19 vaccine is the most effective form of protection against the virus, the new mask mandate is a "necessary step," as thousands of people plan to enter the city for school and work within the next few months.

The mask order applies to all people over the age of 2 who are indoors at places like retail shops, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, event spaces, gyms and municipal buildings.

Though masks will be mandatory in all indoor places throughout the city, Janey is allowing an exception for public places of worship.

It's a caveat that leaves medical professionals baffled — as churches have been repeatedly blamed for superspreader events across the country.

Boston.com reported Dr. David Hamer, a global health professor at Boston University, said he was "shocked" when he saw the exception.

In October, nearly 150 COVID-19 cases were linked to a gathering at Crossroads Church in Fitchburg.

In December, Gov. Baker said: "Our data has still found that there were too many clusters of cases that stemmed from houses of worship, and these cases spread out into the community at large."

Though public places of worship are exempt, the Janey administration encourages churchgoers to wear a mask when they can.

What will this mask mandate mean for the restaurant industry?

It seems as though the restaurant industry was finally getting back on its feet after over a year of uncertainty, closings, and overall hardships, but a second mask mandate has restaurant workers feeling anxious again.

Masking up could mean fewer people will go out to eat. It could present another vexing issue restaurant workers faced when they were policing guests to put masks back on when they left their seats.

Just a few months ago, a Cape Cod restaurant closed for a day of kindness after a guest made one of the employees cry.

Antonio Mizael, a manager at Earls Kitchen and Bar, is still dealing with the aftermath of working with the public since the beginning of the pandemic.

"I feel conflicted. I know it's the right thing to do and it's for the best, but I'm tired of this," Mizael said. "I thought masks would be an afterthought when vaccines became so accessible."

What will this mean for bars and nightclubs?

There is no capacity limit for nightclubs and bars like there was last time, but guests will have to keep their masks on while ordering drinks and while on indoor dance floors.

This enforcement has many bartenders and servers questioning how this will work once alcohol is involved and if standing room is still allowed near the bar.

"There's no way people will actually comply to this, especially when alcohol is involved," local bartender Dan McGee said in a statement. "This decision doesn't take into consideration the significant mental health impact that this is going to have on industry folk...again."

Will I have to wear my mask while dining outdoors?

The mask mandate does not apply to outdoor areas, and places with outdoor seating and tents are allowed to have customers dine without the use of a mask.

Tents count as outdoor areas as long as one side is completely open.

Masks are still and never stopped being required on public transportation.

Boston Public Schools will also require all students and faculty to wear masks this fall.

All Boston City workers must also get vaccinated against COVID-19 or participate in regular testing, Janey announced last week.