Canton BOH Votes To Require Mask Use Indoors

CANTON, MA - The Canton Board of Health as of this morning is now requiring an indoor mask mandate.

"The mandate requires all individuals over the age of two to wear a face covering in all indoor public spaces, houses of worship and private spaces open to the public except where an individual is unable to tolerate a face covering due to a medical condition or disability," according to a press release issued late Tuesday. "The mandate does not limit activities. Nor does it place any new spacing requirements or capacity limits on these locations."

The Board of Health (BOH) voted on the mandate on Monday as an emergency regulation, citing the growing number of COVID-19 cases in town. The policy will be in effect until December 7, at which time the Board of Health can rescind the policy.

Over the past two weeks, there were 50 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in town, according to information provided at the BOH meeting. Concerns have risen over the Delta variant, which is more contagious than previous iterations of the virus.

Face coverings now are required by everyone over the age of 2 in all indoor public spaces, including restaurants, houses of worship and private spaces that are open to the public, unless the person has a disability or a medical condition that precludes it.

Restaurant patrons can only remove masks when seated, and people ordering from a bar must wear masks.

People at indoor performance venues can only wear masks when they are in the act of eating or drinking if the vendor permits it, the policy states. Performers must wear face coverings at indoor performance venues unless they can maintain a distance of 12 feet from the audience. People on a dance floor must be masked.

Those who live in apartment buildings or multi-unit homes must be masked in hallways and common areas with the new requirement. Fitness center guests and employees also must wear face coverings, even with strenuous exercise.

Select Board Clerk Thomas Theodore spoke out against the abrupt announcement of the policy change at the Select Board meeting last night. He made a motion that the Select Board ask the BOH to delay implementation of the mask mandate "at a minimum," but it failed 3-2.

"I am a little upset with the Board of Health," he said, noting that he and the police and fire chiefs attended that meeting. "We were under the impression that the general consensus going to the Board of Health for their meeting was that we were in support of having a mask mandate for municipal buildings."

He said there was "a strong recommendation" that restaurants and businesses encourage mask use, but that it should be up to the establishment.

"I think we're putting the cart before the horse here to enforce these regulations," Theodore continued. "The mandate, I think, was done without thinking things out. Just to throw something out overnight is unfair to everybody. "

He said it would have a severe impact on local businesses, as shoppers may turn to going to nearby towns without mask mandates.

Chair Michael C. Loughran said he spoke with Town Administrator Charles Aspinwall and confirmed that it is within the BOH's jurisdiction to implement the requirement in response to a public health emergency.

"But I echo those same concerns," he said. "I worry that people who are in the anti-mask category will stop frequenting some of these businesses. I don't think that the restaurants can survive another downturn."

Vice Chair Lisa Lopez cautioned against the motion because the BOH "was acting within its authority."

"It has already communicated publicly its decision," she said. "I would think that at this point, our role is to be a united front."

"Not if you don't agree with it," Theodore countered. "I have a job to protecct the citizens of Canton. I'm infuriated by this."

"Common sense would say that you have a meeting and invite the business people in," added Select Board member John Connolly, who voted with Theodore. "This is going to hurt them right where it hurts the most."

He noted that the only town nearby with a similar policy is Sharon.

"If it was uniform, at least we'd have an arguing point," Theodore said. "But we don't."