NEW HAVEN, Conn. — In a move that echos spring of 2020, the City of New Haven is returning to an indoor mask mandate.
The difference now is that there is no statewide mask mandate at this time.
Regardless of vaccination status, people will have to wear masks inside any New Haven building like bars, restaurants, theaters, and office buildings.
"I've been quite clear that we're going to use every tool we can to keep residents safe," said Elicker at a press conference Friday morning.
The decision to mandate the indoor mask mandate came as New Haven County and Hartford County saw its COVID-19 cases begin to rise once more. Most blame the more contagious delta variant for the spread, focusing on getting residents vaccinated.
There's no set date for the mandate to expire.
“The state’s positivity rate has increased nearly fivefold in the past three weeks,” said Health Director Maritza Bond in a statement Friday. “Nearly 2/3 of eligible residents in New Haven are now vaccinated, but vaccination still lags among younger residents, and we still have thousands of residents who fall below the 12-year-old eligibility threshold.”
New Haven County was the first in the state to reach the 'high risk' transmission category by the CDC, followed by Hartford County. All other counties remain in the 'substantial risk' category.
The CDC classifies substantial transmission as 50 to 99.99 total new cases per 100,000 persons in the past seven days. Moderate transmission is anywhere from 10 to 49.99 cases per 100,000 persons.
The CDC recommends people in these areas wear masks inside regardless of vaccination status. Connecticut officials strongly recommend residents follow the CDC guidelines.
The governor's office added that the Department of Public Health and Department of Education is "in the process" of reviewing and, if necessary, updating the statewide policies about wearing masks in school.
RELATED: Lamont issues executive order requiring COVID vaccine for all employees of long-term care facilities
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