Amid climbing COVID-19 infections in Middlesex County, Belmont officials said Friday that indoor masking will be required again beginning Monday.
Officials agreed to adopt the protocol at an emergency meeting of the Select Board and Board of Health held Friday in response to rising rates of test positivity, according to a statement from the town.
The mandate includes all indoor public spaces and private spaces open to the public, with exemptions for children under 2 and those with medical conditions or disabilities that render them unable to wear a mask, according to the statement. People may also remove masks when seated at a table or a bar where they are eating or drinking.
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The mandate comes after the Centers for Disease Control elevated the transmission rate for COVID-19 in Middlesex County to “substantial” last week.
The mandate will remain in effect as long as the CDC classifies Middlesex County as having either a “high” or “substantial” transmission rate for the virus and will be removed when transmission drops to a rating of “moderate” or “low,” officals said.