Framingham Health Officials To Meet Over Ending Mask Mandates

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Framingham could follow in the footsteps of many other local cities and towns this week by rescinding local mask mandates.

The Board of Health will meet Tuesday night to discuss the mandate, which has been in effect since Jan. 19, when the omciron wave was at its peak. Cases have been falling in Framingham and across the state in recent weeks, and many other cities and towns have already lifted mandates.

The mandate applies to all public spaces in Framingham, including businesses, houses of worship and common areas in apartment buildings. The health board will also discuss ending a mandate that applies to all municipal buildings. Former mayor Yvonne Spicer put that order into effect in August.

If the Board of Health ends those mandates, the only place where masks would still be required is on MWRTA buses and MBTA trains and buses. A federal mask mandate is still in effect covering public transit and school buses.

Last week, health boards in Worcester and Natick voted to end mandates. Natick's will end Feb. 28, Worcester's ended on Friday. Marlborough's health board ended a local mandate on Feb. 7 after three weeks. Sudbury will end a mandate in early March. And in Framingham, Superintendent Robert Tremblay announced on Friday that the schools would go mask-optional by March 7.

As of Feb. 17, Framingham was adding about 33 new cases per day over a two-week period per 100,000 residents. That's lower than smaller communities in Middlesex County like Hopkinton (46.7) and Dracut (36.8).

It's also much lower than just a few weeks ago. Over the two weeks ending Jan. 27, Framingham was adding about 227 cases per day, and 124 cases over the two weeks ending Feb. 3.