Wakefield Mask Mandate On Deck? Board Of Health To Vote Wednesday

WAKEFIELD, MA — The Wakefield Board of Health will meet Wednesday to discuss and vote on an indoor mask mandate as a surge of COVID-19 cases fueled by the omicron variant continues to run roughshod over the region.

The meeting was added just this week for 6 p.m. On the agenda is public comment, a vote and "context for mask mandate and explanation regarding COVID-19 situation in Wakefield and surrounding communities."

The meeting comes one week after the Board of Health in neighboring Melrose voted to re-implement an indoor mask mandate. Melrose and Wakefield share a health director, Anthony Chui, who was the one who requested the Melrose mask mandate be considered.

Chui could not be immediately reached for comment. He did not respond to two emails in previous days asking why he brought a vote on the mandate to Melrose but not Wakefield.

Chui was asked during the Melrose meeting why the city was voting on a mandate but not Wakefield. Chui said he would not discuss it since the meeting was focused on Melrose, not Wakefield.

Melrose and Wakefield have reasonably similar COVID-19 metrics when it comes to 14-day average daily incidence rate and positive test rate. The percentage of Wakefield's population who have received at least one dose of the vaccine is more than 10 percent lower than Melrose's, but still at 85 percent.

The Melrose meeting did not have the agenda item for discussing the context of the mandate.

The Melrose mask mandate applies to everyone 5 and older in public and private indoor spaces, including businesses, fitness centers, restaurants, houses of worship, congregate care settings and more. Private homes are excluded.

People will be subject to $50 fines for first offenses, $100 for second offenses and third for $150 and subsequent offenses. Chui said the goal is not be punitive, but rather educational.

The Board of Health will revisit it Feb. 8.

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