Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller Institutes Indoor Mask Mandate

NEWTON, MA — Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller announced Friday that the city is instituting a mask mandate for all indoor public spaces, effective Thursday, September 2.

The mandate includes all indoor places where the public has access, including restaurants and bars when not actively eating or drinking, performance and event spaces, salons, social clubs, and places of worship. It does not apply to those with health risks that make it unsafe to wear a mask or children under age two.

"We have learned that the most effective public health strategies build among community members an understanding of the science and the evidence which in turn leads to voluntary compliance," said Fuller in a statement. "Therefore, we as a City have been following a deliberate set of steps in line with the evolving data about the Delta variant and with the fall approaching."

Newton's indoor mask mandate comes after the city recommended that residents wear masks inside public spaces on August 5, issued a mask mandate for municipal buildings last week, and unanimously voted to require masks in Newton Public Schools on Tuesday.

"Our goal is to have our community continue to work together to stop the spread of this persistent virus to youngsters who are not eligible to receive a vaccine and others who are immunocompromised or face other health challenges," said Fuller.

The mayor said she does not know when the town may reconsider the mandate, as all 14 counties in Massachusetts are currently experiencing high or substantial risk of COVID-19 transmission due to the Delta variant. However, she said will keep a close eye on the data and stay updated on when children under age 12 become eligible for the vaccine.

Newton has seen an overall increase in COVID-19 cases over the past month, reporting 98 new cases in the last two weeks. As of Thursday, 75.6% of residents are fully vaccinated and 82.6% are partially vaccinated.