HARTFORD, Conn. — The City of Hartford will require masks to be worn in restaurants and businesses, it was announced Tuesday.
The mandate will take effect at Midnight on Tuesday, August 10. Officials said, "The mandate will apply to anyone indoors in Hartford, with exceptions for those with relevant medical conditions, those under the age of 2, those eating or drinking, and those who are alone in an indoor space or in an office setting where there are partitions between them and other people."
“Our case rate has more than doubled over the last two weeks, and we’ve seen similar increases in other cities as well – even those with different demographics and vaccination rates,” said Mayor Luke Bronin. “We’re instituting a mask mandate tonight to slow the spread as we continue our vaccination efforts, and we’ll assess this mandate on an ongoing basis over the next few weeks. COVID-19 is going to be with us in some form for a while, but if enough folks get vaccinated, we’ll hopefully get to a place where we can treat it like the flu. But right now, too many people – especially children – remain vulnerable.
Hartford Superintendent Dr. Leslie Torres Rodriguez said schools will require masking for all educators, staff, and students, a policy which had already been announced.
Stamford, Bridgeport mayors reinstate mask protocols
The mayors of Bridgeport and Stamford have also reinstated mask protocols in the wake if rising infections. Mayor David Martin of Stamford said the cities mask requirement will go in effect on Thursday. Bridgeport's mandate went into effect on Wednesday.
The state has not issued any official mandates for masks since lifting most of them in may but "strongly recommends" residents follow the CDC's guidelines.
On Monday, New Haven made a similar announcement.
“Indoor facilities, we know that there’s poor ventilation, you should be wearing a mask. If you know that you’re going to visit a family member and it’s an elderly person or individual with an underlying condition, you should always wear a mask. When in doubt, wear a mask,” New Haven Director of Public Heath Maritza Bond said.
Gov. Ned Lamont said he wants state legislators to get involved to decide how to respond to the latest wave of COVID-19.
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