BRATTLEBORO — Mask mandates from municipalities and businesses still apply until rescinded.
“There’s quite a bit of understandable buzz about Brattleboro’s mask order, now that the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and the state of Vermont have lifted that requirement from their guidance,” Select Board member Tim Wessel said in a Facebook post on his page for town-related information. “Our order remains in place until either we, your Select Board, lift the order or the governor declares an end to the State of Emergency. (Which has not yet happened.)”
Wessel said he believes outdoor masking is “unnecessary and has been for a while, but indoor masking ... still feels like a reasonable precaution, given that some Vermonters are still waiting to be fully vaccinated.” The town does not require outdoor masking; it’s mandated inside establishments where business is conducted or services are provided.
Nancy Braus, co-owner of Everyone’s Books in Brattleboro, is unsure whether she supports changing the local order right now. Staff at her downtown shop are all vaccinated and there aren’t many anti-vaxxers among their clientele, she said, but she wonders if someone might lie about being vaccinated in order not to wear a mask.
“Are there going to be official documents that someone has been vaccinated?” Braus said. “The paper card I have from Walgreens would be simple to copy.”
Last May, the Select Board voted unanimously to approve an emergency order requiring masks inside establishments. The state’s mandate came in August.
BRATTLEBORO — In an effort to contain the spread of germs during the coronavirus pandemic, the Select Board approved an emergency order requiring facial coverings inside Brattleboro …
On Thursday, the federal government issued new guidance. Gov. Phil Scott followed suit the next day.
Select Board Chairwoman Elizabeth McLoughlin said the board will briefly discuss the issue Tuesday, only to put it on the next meeting’s agenda.
“I would like more information about local vaccination rates and local number of cases prior to our Select Board discussion,” she said.
According to a news release from Town Manager Peter Elwell, the updated guidance says that “fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.”
“Let’s try and have a little patience in the next few weeks, and celebrate that both locally and nationally, we are coming out of a long haul of isolation for many, and look forward to re-establishing connections with so many neighbors in our community,” Elwell stated.
Wilmington Town Manager Scott Tucker said masks are still required in establishments as part of the mandate in Wilmington. The Select Board will discuss updating its order at its Tuesday meeting.
In a news release, Gov. Scott cited Vermont having more than 60 percent of its population receive at least the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in his decision to move to the third step of his Vermont Forward Plan for reopening the economy. He said the move comes more than two weeks ahead of the anticipated schedule.
Step 3 of the plan removes a testing requirement for travel. It also increases event and gathering capacity.
Now, gatherings can have one unvaccinated person per 50 square feet, as many as 300, and any number of vaccinated people for indoor events. For outdoor events, 900 unvaccinated people can gather with any number of vaccinated people.
State and federal guidelines still call for masking at health care and long-term care facilities, correctional centers, homeless shelters and on public transportation.
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May 17, 2021 at 06:00AM
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Local mask mandates stay, for now | Local News | reformer.com - Brattleboro Reformer
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