Danbury Mayor Relaxes COVID-19 Mask Mandate

DANBURY, CT — If you're vaccinated against the coronavirus, you can take off your mask indoors in the city as of Friday.

Mayor Joe Cavo has amended the city's indoor mask mandate, which currently requires everyone in all indoor public spaces and venues to wear mask, to apply only to those who are unvaccinated, or unable to provide proof of vaccination, against COVID-19. The revised order goes into effect one minute past midnight on Oct. 15.

There are some notable exceptions. Masks will still be required in Danbury Public Schools and private schools, subject to the exemption provided in Gov. Ned Lamont’s Executive Order 12A. The order also requires health care facilities, facilities housing vulnerable populations, public and private transit, correctional facilities, and childcare settings to require face-covering masks.

The change also does not prevent any Danbury establishment from requiring the use of masks by its patrons or employees. Cavo said the Danbury Health Department will be available to assist in facilitating an implementation plan if the business requests.

In a statement released Thursday, Cavo said he supports the choice of fully vaccinated residents and visitors who "find a level of comfort wearing a mask especially while attending indoor public settings where they might feel at-risk or cannot social distance themselves."

Cavo required residents to mask up back in August, making Danbury the first city in southwest Connecticut to issue such a mandate after Lamont empowered local leaders via an executive order one week prior.

Danbury had an average of 6.4 daily cases per 100,000 residents and a positive test rate of 1.8 percent between Oct. 2 and Oct. 7, according to the state Department of Public Health. There were 7.7 daily cases per 100,000 residents on the average in the previous two-week reporting period. Statewide, COVID-19 positivity statewide has remained under 3 percent for the past 3 weeks. Hospitalizations have been declining for even longer.