Bethel Rescinds Mandatory Mask Order

BETHEL, CT — First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker has rescinded Bethel's mandatory mask order imposed on all publicly accessible indoor gathering spaces, as the town's new case rate remains below 10 per 100, 000.

Mask are now optional for the fully vaccinated, but remain mandatory for the unvaccinated and inside schools.

"However, we strongly encourage all Bethel residents to continue to wear a mask when indoors in accordance with CDC guidelines," Knickerbocker said. "People at higher risk of severe COVID should consider masking even when not required."

"We also ask for your cooperation when visiting Bethel retail businesses. Some store owners have chosen to maintain the full mask policy for the safety of their staff and customers."

Statewide, COVID-19 positivity has remained under 3 percent for the past 3 weeks. Hospitalizations have been declining for even longer.

Bethel had an average of 9.4 daily cases per 100,000 residents and a positive test rate of 2.2 percent between Oct. 2 and Oct. 7, according to the state Department of Public Health. There were 8.3 daily cases per 100,000 residents on the average in the previous two-week reporting period. It’s important to note that a small number of cases can have a large impact on a municipal case rate, especially for small towns.

Around 130 of Connecticut’s 169 towns had a case rate that was lower or the same in the last two weeks compared with the previous two weeks.

The total number of red zone towns in Connecticut — those with 15 or more cases per 100,000 — is 37, down 18 from last week. Bethel is categorized as “yellow,” with 5-9 cases per 100,000. The color codes correspond to guidance from the health department.

The statewide death rate from COVID-19, which had picked up in September, is also on the decline this week. The number of coronavirus-associated deaths, reported weekly by DPH, dropped from 53 to 38 on Thursday. The coronavirus death toll for Bethel since the start of the pandemic is 57.

Health officials attribute the state’s recent positive coronavirus trends to its stellar vaccination rate. Connecticut is third highest in the nation this week behind Vermont and Massachusetts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Around 62 percent of Bethel residents are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus as of Oct. 7, according to DPH.