Masks again required in municipal buildings

BETHEL — With local COVID-19 infections on the rise, First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker announced Thursday that mask-wearing will again be required inside all municipal buildings in town,

“Our community is experiencing a very significant increase in COVID-19 infections,” he said. “Due to this rapid surge, we are once again asking visitors to all town-owned buildings to wear masks when in public areas and when meeting with staff.”

Knickerbocker noted that the requirement applies to places like the Clifford J. Hurgin Municipal Center and Bethel Public Library, where masks will be provided for visitors at the building entrances.

Bethel Public Schools already have a mask requirement, which will also remain in place for all visitors.

Redding imposed an indoor mask mandate in all spaces beginning in mid December, but other local communities haven’t enacted mask requirements.

The latest state COVID data shows more than 130 new confirmed COVID cases have been reported in Bethel since Dec. 1.

There’s been a recent rise in statewide COVID numbers as well. With 6,000 new cases, Connecticut’s daily COVID positivity rate reached nearly 9 percent Tuesday.

There have been at least 1,990 confirmed cases in Bethel and 47 confirmed COVID-related deaths since March 2020, according to state COVID data.

As of Dec. 16, at least 66 percent of Bethel residents were fully vaccinated and 74 percent had received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine.