Town Of Tolland - Mask Policy

Press release from the Town of Tolland:

August 22, 2021

WHEREAS, on March 10, 2020, the Governor of the State of Connecticut declared a public health emergency and a civil preparedness emergency for the State of Connecticut, pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes Sections 19a-131 and 28-9, in response to the global pandemic of COVID-19 disease associated with a novel coronavirus that is currently affecting multiple countries and states; and,

WHEREAS, on July 27, 2021, as a result of the increased transmissibility of the now-dominant Delta variant of SARS-COV-2 (the "Delta variant") and the resulting increase in COVID-19 infections, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued guidance recommending that all people, including those who are vaccinated, wear masks or face coverings indoors in areas of substantial or high COVID-19 transmission; and

WHEREAS, according to the CDC, all eight of Connecticut's counties are considered areas of substantial, or high, transmission; and

WHEREAS, on the 5th day of August, 2021, Governor Ned Lamont issued Executive Order No. 13A pursuant to emergency declarations of the Governor and in accordance with the requirements of Special Act 21-5, which among other things authorizes individual municipalities "to require masks or face coverings in indoor settings regardless of vaccination status" pursuant to Sec. 28-8a of the Connecticut General Statutes (Municipal chief executive officers' powers during emergency); and

WHEREAS, the TOWN OF TOLLAND has determined that in order to slow the spread of
the Delta variant, protect our residents and those visiting and conducting business within our municipal buildings, it is right and proper and consistent with good preventive public health practices to follow the current CDC guidelines on wearing masks or face coverings in indoor all of the Town of Tolland municipal buildings regardless of vaccination status; and

WHEREAS, as we continue to encourage vaccination as our best defense against COVID-19, given the rate of infection and the substantial danger the Delta variant poses to the most vulnerable among us, we must take other action to slow the spread of the virus;

NOW, THEREFORE, the TOWN OF TOLLAND by virtue of the authority in Governor Lamont's Executive Order No. 13a, issued the 5th of August 2021, and Sec. 28-8a of the Connecticut General Statutes, does hereby ORDER AND DIRECT:

l. Effective at Midnight, the 22nd of August, 2021, in the Town of Tolland it is hereby ordered that all individuals, unless exempt as provided for herein, shall be required to wear masks or cloth face coverings over both the nose and mouth at all times while in municipal building indoor settings, regardless of vaccination status.

2. Exempted individuals would include:
Children under the age of 2;
While eating or drinking;
Having a valid medical reason with the appropriate documentation proving as such;
Town employees who are working alone, are separated from others by at least 6 ft. or are separated by a barrier.

This press release was produced by the Town of Tolland. The views expressed here are the author’s own.