Mask Use Urged In Worcester As Coronavirus Cases Spike

WORCESTER, MA — It's not a mask mandate, but officials in Worcester are urging residents to start wearing masks indoors again.

Three months after Worcester repealed an indoor mask mandate, COVID-19 levels are on the rise in Massachusetts — largely due to the BA.2 omicron variant, which health officials believe spreads more rapidly. The statewide positive test rate topped 8 percent on Thursday, up sharply from one month ago.

COVID-19 case counts also rose in 283 Massachusetts communities, stayed the same in 19 and decreased in 34, state data showed on Thursday.

"Since its 2022 low on March 12, Worcester’s seven-day daily average of new positive COVID-19 cases has risen steadily the past eight weeks to 128.9. Hospitalizations at the city’s hospitals have also increased, with the total number of COVID-19-positive inpatients currently at 72, with 11 in intensive care," the city said in a news release on Friday.

On top of masks, Worcester officials urged residents to get vaccinated, boosted — and boosted a second time, if eligible. Find out where to get a vaccine on the city website.

The mask advisory may not last long. Health officials believe the BA.2 wave will crest soon, as it has in the United Kingdom, which typically leads the U.S. in viral waves.

"The good news is that the United Kingdom, which has been going through a similar surge four weeks ahead of us, has seen a precipitous drop in cases since the beginning of April. This indicates we just need to get through another month of this uptick before we will likely see infections decrease," Worcester Medical Director Dr. Michael Hirsh, UMass Memorial CEO Dr. Eric Dickson, and St. Vincent Hospital CEO Dr. Carolyn Jackson said in a joint statement.