Wellesley To Discuss Mandatory Face Mask Order

WELLESLEY, MA — Since Governor Charlie Baker announced an extension to the closure of non-essential businesses, municipalities across the Commonwealth have started mulling over extensions of their own orders and implementation of orders like mandatory face masks.

Wellesley's Board of Health and Board of Selectmen have an emergency meeting scheduled for Friday to discuss a possible face covering order. Several surrounding communities have already moved forward with implementing similar orders. Needham, Brookline, Waltham, Cambridge and Somerville have all implemented a form of a face covering order.

Face covering orders in neighboring communities are mandatory for people over the age of five and anyone inside of essential businesses, including employees. Towns like Needham have added clauses to their orders to deter residents from using the order as a means of acting as enforcers. The order stresses that each resident should be focused on their own personal compliance.

As of Wednesday, Wellesley had 174 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in town, with 71 of those cases coming from long term care facilities.

While the closure of non-essential businesses was extended, the Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards has lifted restrictions for work done in schools, providing that COVID-19 protection measures are followed according to guidelines from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control. This means Wellesley’s Facilities Management Department may conduct cleaning and maintenance projects not directly related to the COVID-19 response.