Stoneham Issues Narrowly Focused Mask Mandate

STONEHAM, MA — People will have to wear masks when entering pharmacies and grocery stores in town after the Board of Health voted to implement a focused version of a mask mandate that will not cover other indoor spaces.

Owners of businesses outside of pharmacies and grocery stores can require masks at their discretion. Banks were raised as a possible addition to the mandate, but not immediately included.

"[Pharmacies and grocery stores] are essential facilities that people need to visit in order to get their medication and their foods," Board of Health member Terry Dean said.

The mandate goes into effect Friday.

The reason for the narrow scope of the mask mandate is to protect the most vulnerable residents like seniors and immunocompromised, Health Agent Erin Hull said.

Hull confirmed Target is covered under this mask mandate.

Dean said the Board will watch the data and could consider broadening the mask mandate and ending it.

"I think we wanted to start in a place of good faith and hoping that this will make some difference," she said.

For now, places like gyms and other business will stay "at-your-own risk right now," Hull said.

The vote comes as the town has more than 560 active COVID-19 cases, a significant increase from the roughly 300 cases this time last year. The town's positive test rate is at a pandemic-high 16 percent. Hull said hospitalizations are far less, but residents are still dying. Two more recent deaths bring the COVID-related total to 55 since the start of the pandemic in Stoneham.

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"We do strongly recommend at this point that people do wear masks indoors in public settings," Health Agent Erin Hull told the Select Board Tuesday night. But that recommendation will be a requirement for most people if the vote passes.

Hull said Tuesday the mandate could only last a few weeks through the expected peak of the omicron spike.

"I understand people are sick of this. I'm sick of wearing a mask too," she said. "But I think in a lot of public places, I'm just thinking about protecting the most vulnerable."

Massachusetts — and the rest of the country — is in the midst of an unprecedented explosion of COVID-19 cases. The most recent public health data showed Stoneham to 279, bringing the total to 3,815 since the start of the pandemic. The real number is undoubtedly higher; Hull on Tuesday said people don't even need to report it when they get a positive result from an at-home rapid test.

Stoneham has a very high vaccination rate with some 90 percent of eligible residents receiving at least one dose of the vaccine.

Some Select Board members asked for clarification on things like mask effectiveness, transmission and updated federal guidelines on isolation.

Hull said KN-95 masks are recommended if available, but "any face covering is better than no face covering."

Mike Carraggi can be reached at mike.carraggi@patch.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatchCarraggi. Subscribe to Stoneham Patch for free local news and alerts and like us on Facebook.