North Shore Mayors In Coalition Pursuing Coronavirus Measures

BEVERLY, MA — Beverly Mayor Mike Cahill and Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll are among a coalition of 17 Greater Boston mayors and city managers that Friday agreed to support measures aimed at mitigating the spread of the coronavirus delta variant.

The policies the coalition signed on to support include universal masking indoors in public schools regardless of vaccination status through at least the end of 2021, school coronavirus testing, indoor mask mandates in municipal buildings, at least encouraging indoor masking in businesses and crowded public spaces, and at least the consideration of a vaccination mandate for all city and school staff that requires proof of vaccination or regular testing.

"For the past several weeks, COVID-19 case numbers have climbed steadily across the nation due to the more transmissible delta variant," the mayors said in a joint statement. "We are encouraged that Massachusetts has among the nation's highest vaccination rates and has therefore experienced less serious impacts of this new variant than other states in our nation.

"Nevertheless, we remain deeply concerned about the delta variant and its potential public health impacts, especially among residents who are not yet vaccinated, residents who are vulnerable because of their age or health status, and children who are below the allowable age for vaccination."

Over the past two weeks, Salem has already instituted an indoor mask mandate for municipal buildings, public schools and businesses, and is pursuing a vaccination mandate for city employees — including teachers — that requires twice-weekly testing for those who do not provide proof of vaccination.

On Friday morning, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Director Jeffrey Riley said he was seeking authority to institute an indoor mask mandate for all schools through the end of September regardless of vaccination status "to ensure schools fully reopen safely and to provide time for more students and educators to get vaccinated" but the mayors' coalition said it wants the mandate in place at least four months.

The state has made its "Test to Stay" program available to districts for free this fall. Under that program, those considered a close contact to a positive coronavirus case can remain in the classroom as long as they are negative in daily coronavirus testing over a five-day span.

The coalition said each of the 17 mayors and city managers will be "working with our department heads and labor representatives to consider having all municipal and school staff show proof of vaccination — or a medical or religious exemption — or submit to regular testing," which the coalition said is "demonstrating our mutual commitment to keeping all staff and visitors as safe as possible and reducing the likelihood of community spread."

While the coalition does not specifically endorse an indoor business mask mandate, the mayors said they are "encouraging people to consider masking in public spaces" and "will strongly encourage masks in publicly accessible indoor spaces where individuals gather, including places such as shops, restaurants, hair salons, gyms, halls and function rooms."

The mayors said the guidance will be updated "in response to emerging scientific data" and that the 17 cities agree to "encourage and help all residents to become fully vaccinated, and ensure that adequate testing remains available to all who may need it."

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)

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