Medford Lifts Indoor Mask Order For Businesses

MEDFORD, MA — The Medford Board of Health voted Monday to rescind the city's indoor mask mandate for businesses.

Under the order, masks are still required for unvaccinated people while indoors, and face coverings must be worn inside city-owned facilities, medical offices and public transportation.

Health officials cited weeks of declining case counts and maintaining a positivity rate of under 2 percent, as well as increased access to the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11. The city is holding vaccine clinics for children in that age group on Wednesday, Nov. 10 from 3-7 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Andrews Middle School.

According to the latest figures from the city, 71 percent of Medford residents are vaccinated. Case data shows the number of new cases has not gone above 20 since September, but the daily total has fluctuated from single digits to as high as 18 last Thursday.

See the case counts for last week below:

• Nov. 1: 9
• Nov. 2: 9
• Nov. 3: 11
• Nov. 4: 18
• Nov. 5: 15
• Nov. 6: 10
• Nov. 7: 14