West Hartford sets indoor mask rule
‘Red zone’ of average daily cases exceeded
As West Hartford reached a “red zone” of COVID-19 community transmission, town officials imposed an indoor mask mandate Friday, joining a growing list of municipalities that now require masking in public indoor spaces, including Hartford, Bloomfield, South Windsor, Manchester, Bridgeport, New Haven and Stamford.
A week ago, town officials announced that if West Hartford reached an average daily case rate of 15 or more cases per 100,000 people — a “red zone,” as defined by the State Department of Public Health — the town would require all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, to wear a mask indoors. West Hartford has now exceeded that threshold, with 16.7 cases per 100,000 people, according to the West Hartford-bloomfield Health District.
“We all want to keep our communities safe while keeping schools, towns, and businesses open,” West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor said in a statement. “Please, if you have not been vaccinated, do so to protect yourself, your family and your community. Vaccines are safe, free and easier than ever to obtain.”
Gov. Ned Lamont opted
earlier this month to give municipalities the authority to impose local mask mandates, rather than institute a statewide masking requirement. The policy has drawn criticism from some local leaders and health experts, who say a patchwork system of mask mandates does not do enough to stop the spread of COVID-19 transmission.
Asked Thursday whether his administration is considering implementing a statewide mask mandate, Lamont said, “Not at this point.”
Dr. Thomas Balcezak, the chief clinical officer for Yale New Haven Health, said that requiring indoor masking in some towns but not others can be confusing to residents, particularly to those who visit or work in towns with conflicting policies.
“One of the things I’m seeing now is people are confused,” Balcezak said. “People are confused where they should wear masks, where they’re not supposed to wear masks.”
In West Hartford, the mask mandate does not apply to residential dwellings and includes exceptions for people more than six feet apart, those with a medical condition, behavioral condition or disability that prevents them from wearing a mask, residents under the age of 2, and people eating and drinking.
Roughly 73% of West Hartford residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the State Department of Public Health. Balcezak noted that vaccinations and masking function as “synergistic layers of protection” against the spread of COVID-19: both are vital in slowing the spread of the virus.
“When there’s prevalence like we’re seeing in Connecticut, we’re starting to see more folks that are fully vaccinated admitted [to hospitals], not because the vaccine’s not working, but because people are being bombarded with virus,” he said.
Simsbury also announced Friday a mask mandate for indoor public spaces, effective Monday. The Simsbury Board of Selectmen voted unanimously on Friday to support Town Manager Maria Capriola’s decision to issue the mandate.
“The health and safety of our residents is our top priority,” said First Selectman Eric Wellman. “With the rapid increase in cases in our area, breakthrough cases amongst vaccinated individuals, and the highly transmissible nature of the Delta variant, this action will help protect residents, business owners, and visitors to Simsbury. It’s critical that we take this proactive approach to ensure that our children can go to school in person, and our businesses can continue to operate safely.”