Portland Mask Mandate To End Following City Council Vote

PORTLAND, ME — The Portland City Council on Monday voted to end the citywide indoor mask mandate just one month after it went into effect, according to a report.

In a 7-2 decision, city council members voted to end the mandate rather than extend it another 30 days, according to a report by the Portland Press Herald. The decision will take effect on Feb. 17.

Council members Andrew Zarro and Victoria Pelletier opposed the repeal, the Press Herald reported.

The decision to end the mask mandate comes as COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases continue to fall statewide. The number of hospitalized patients is 25 percent lower than its January peak, and COVID-19 cases have dropped more than 50 percent in the past three weeks, according to a separate report by the Press Herald.

Portland Mayor Kate Snyder on Monday said she would support the repeal, according to the newspaper.

"I’m fully in support of taking measures to protect public health and all the work the city of Portland staff do daily to address the issues regarding community protection are important, but I do think we’re transitioning into a new place that forces us to figure out how we’re going to live with this thing," Snyder said during Monday's council meeting.