Alden Bourne, New England Public Media. "Hampden County is experiencing a problem with the delta variant.". Masks will continue to be required in Springfield Public Schools at least through March 2022, the district announced last week. Published February 25, 2022 1:01pm EST. The proposed regulationswould require face coverings in all indoor public places as well as private places open to the public for those over the age of 2. COVID-19 cases in West Springfield have risen since the board suspended the mask mandate. Learn more: Read Connecticut's current COVID-19 health guidance. Fair organizers had been anticipating a mask mandate, Big E President and CEO Eugene Cassidy told The Associated Press on Thursday. More mask mandates lifted around US as CDC expected to announce updated guidance . info@infofrankfurt.de, A company of the city of Frankfurt am Main, Tourismus & Congress GmbH - Frankfurt am Main, Verordnung zum Basisschutz der Bevlkerung vor Infektionen mit dem SARS-CoV-2-Virus, COVID-19: Information Stadt Frankfurt am Main, Current rules of the Hessian Ministry of Social Affairs and Integration, Re-open EU: Travel Information for Germany. The mask mandate will remain in place for 60 days, to be reassessed on March 1, 2022. I implore our residents to please, get vaccinated. 0:00. 2022, 6:04 PM. View on Map. OR SCAN THE BARCODE BELOW . That is the reaction some have had after hearing that the indoor mask mandate in Springfield is lifting on Monday. A dust storm is being reported in the area at the time of the wreck. Jeanne Galloway, director of public health for West Springfield, said the board of health was concerned that COVID-19 rates could spike as a result of the Big E fair, which took place in the town in September and October. Updated: 6:53 PM PST February 14, 2022. time, please contact the PHN at 413-263-2307. Creative Commons. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has authorized the lifting of the requirement to boil water before consumption, effective immediately. But, she said, "having made it through the Big E with numbers not drastically increasing and continue to decline in our region, they just felt it was at a point where they could reduce mask-wearing.". Head Of Big E Supports Proposed Indoor Mask Mandate For West Springfield. There is still much work to do but together I have the full confidence that if we remain vigilant and take the appropriate action that is needed we will get through this stronger and healthier. So are new Spanish-language driver, Pittsfield health officials say post office isn't cooperating with COVID contact tracers, Massachusetts school mask mandate extended to Jan. 15, 2022. This story is a production of the New England News Collaborative and a version originally appeared onNew England Public Media's website. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Reminders Publishing. Despite Herculean efforts by our hospitals and testing sites, their capacities are being overwhelmed. All rights reserved. I would be fine with another year. WEST SPRINGFIELD Area school districts are deciding what to do about masks now that the state mandate is set to expire after vacation week. Shoppers, some wearing masks, some not, make their way along Santee Alley in Los . Baker had said that his administration will fully support those who continue to wear masks in schools after the mandate lifts. Find out this regulatory in yours state. Western Mass News (WGGB/WSHM). The mask mandate will remain in place for 60 days, to be reassessed on March 1, 2022. We will continue to do our vaccination clinics in the schools, and so, we do not see this break as something thats transformed, she explained. On Monday, Aug. 2, the Sangamon County Department of Public Health (SCDPH) announced it also "supports" the CDC mask requirements. The mandate requires face coverings in all indoor public places, as well as private places open to the public, regardless of vaccination status, for everyone ages 2 and older. Mayor Sarno and Commissioner Caulton-Harris also announced that by order of the Department of Health and Human Services and Board of Health, the City of Springfield will reinstate a mask mandate, regardless of vaccination status, beginning January 3, 2022. (ABC News: Darryl Torpy)These include restrictions introduced within days of the mask mandate, including a curfew and . First, the CDC grounds its authority to issue a mask mandate in its power to require "sanitation" measures under 42 U.S.C. For up-to-date information please refer to the website of theRobert-Koch-Institut, which also provides an overview of thecurrent thresholdsfor Hesse. Board Chair Dr. Heather Sankey stressed that the fair was not being targeted, but that the masking rules apply to all businesses and events. Copyright 2022. This is not a sprint; this is a marathon and unless we get vaccinated we are at risk. This is on the heels of students being out of school for winter break. Last week, the city had 279 COVID-19 cases, low enough for the city to lift the indoor mask mandate starting next week. We are in crisis mode. In that role, he covered topics ranging from art, music and medicine to business, education and politics. If everyone takes advantage of this option, Farrell said it would alleviate the town from having positive COVID-19 cases in school. On Feb. 10, West Springfield schools began a new at-home testing program, allowing for participating staff and students to test every Thursday. Im kind of iffy about it, said Springfield Health and Human Services Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris. 3 Massachusetts men arrested for animal cruelty in Middletown, Crash involving 2 tractor-trailers part of I-84 in Sturbridge, School vaccine mandates lifted ahead of the end of national COVID emergency, High-capacity ghost gun seized during Carew St. traffic stop in Springfield, Public File: gary.rivest@westernmassnews.com - (413) 846-0118. ckaniecki@tows.org Committee Vice Chair Nancy Farrell said the schools had 205 students and 59 staff members test positive for COVID-19 in the week of Dec. 30 to Jan. 5, but only 26 students and three staff in the week of Feb. 3-9. I mean three years for a pandemic to at least get through three years. SACRAMENTO, Calif. On Monday, the California Department of Public Health clarified that California's indoor masking requirement for vaccinated people . Schools are continuing to offer pool testing and symptomatic testing on-site. We will certainly have the administration, the nurse [obviously] be aware, and the classroom teacher., Farrell said, During the last two years as a School Committee member, Ive tried to make decisions that I thought were best for students and staff. For fees other than burial permit fees, please pay through the OpenGov portal where you applied for the permit. He explained that these practices that have already been put into place will continue. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. By, The National Guard is easing school bus struggles, districts say. Longmeadow, Sunderland and West Springfield have already done so. Do we have to consider any adjustments to the bullying policy?she asked. Kira Thompson, the other School Committee member to vote no, made the same point. California's indoor mask mandate is set to expire Feb. 15, Gov. HOUSING / RESIDENTIAL LIFE. . The West Springfield Board of Health voted Wednesday night to end a mask mandate established in the city in advance of The Big E. The indoor mandate began on Sept. 17, the day The Big E. The mandate lifted on Monday as the latest COVID-19 case numbers continue to go down, but we found some people still not ready to go mask-free. You can try, Here Are Mass. The town still recommends people wear masks indoors. In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area. According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the percentage of people testing positive for COVID-19 in Hampden County over the previous two weeks was more than double that for the state as a whole. PHILADELPHIA As coronavirus cases rise in Philadelphia, health officials said the city's indoor mask mandate will be reinstated next week. The Board of Health in West Springfield, Massachusetts, has approved an indoor mask mandate that takes effect the same day as the opening, for the first time in two years, of what's billed as the largest agricultural fair on the East Coast. The # WestSpringfield indoor mask mandate is being implemented just before before the Big E's opening day Friday. At a special meeting staged Wednesday, Dr. Heather Sankey, the board's chair, said she feared the 17-day fair, slated to begin Sept. 17, could become a super-spreader event. Despite a few hiccups, parents in Chelsea say school bus vans are now coming on time after weeks of unpredictable arrivals. The multi-state fair drew more than 1.6 million visitors in 2019 and was cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Stars and Stripes April 1, 2022. **Below Update as of 4/21/2023 1:28 p.m.**. Also, 32 of those were boosters, which is also amazing for us, so it went well. After the 60-day period, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Board of Health will review the situation and make the recommendation on lifting or keeping the mask mandate based on the COVID-19 trends over that time period. The last of Victoria's COVID-related mask rules were lifted in September 2022. Please check with the individual cultural and recreational venues. time, please contact the PHN at 413-263-2307. . Mayor William Reichelt replied, Our vaccination rates are certainly rising. He continued, We obviously have a much different demographic, where much more targeted outreach is needed, where people from many different cultures are here in West Springfield, many different backgrounds, many different beliefs in vaccinations.. calendar=35d7afff-9d34-433f-99d8-, d5bb3d11cb84&site=west-springfield-town-hall, Food Service Facility Plan Requirements 2017, 2022 Massachusetts Hospital and Health Care Guide, Take It Personal Sheet: Self-Report Medical Conditions. When students come off the bus, the administrators have been discussing with them if theyve taken their masks off prematurely, or if they are habitually coming on [the bus] without one on they are contacting home, said Peronne. February 14, 2022. Below is the weekly breakdown of cases over the past five weeks. School Committee member Kathy Alevras asked about someone who does test positive. Lauren Blakeley "If I thought a masking ordinance would be realistically enforceable, I . "We actually had started preparing for this a couple of weeks ago," he said. The Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Health Department has issued a statement saying there is a COVID-19 cluster at the city's post office, but the postal, An indoor mask requirement for Massachusetts public schools will remain in effect through the start of 2022, education officials announced Tuesday.The, New England Public Media | Copyright 2022. Subscribe. T: 413-263-3206, Website Design by Granicus - Connecting People and Government, If you haveissues scheduling onlineor need a different. The town's director of public health, Jeanne Galloway, stressed that the mask requirement applies to the entire town and is not intended to target the Big E. The 105-year-old fair, the largest . Retail and cultural institutions are allowed to make use of their domiciliary rights and maintain the obligation to wear masks. It would fall under that same umbrella.. WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. It's Boston local news in one concise, fun and informative email. If COVID-19 cases significantly decrease before the 60-day timeframe we will review the policy. This measure is to preserve and protect our work force to keep our vital city services going. (WGGB/WSHM) - An indoor mask mandate is no longer in effect in the city of Springfield, but everyone is still urged to keep their guard up. "It would be. Exceptions: Brooklyn, NY: Special Operating Hours are from 8 to 9 a.m., Tuesday and Thursday. ISOLATION. Springfield, Massachusetts, lifted its indoor mask mandate as of Monday. Mayor Sarno continued, Commissioner Caulton-Harris and I are very concerned with this alarming spike in cases. Published: Mar. From December through January, Coyne said, the omicron variant infected about 1,000 people in the schools alone mostly students, but staff, as well. WEST SPRINGFIELD As the coronavirus pandemic approaches its two-year mark, West Springfield students will finally be able to attend an in-person classroom without a face covering on Feb. 28. We are in a much better position to handle this spike in cases as we now have our ace in the hole the vaccine. The CDC recommends wearing masks in public indoor settings in areas of high transmission, a category Worcester County falls into, as do Hampden and Berkshire counties. Cemetery - 2/16/2022 Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole . The COVID testing site at Springfields Eastfield Mall made plans to turn people away over the weekend if the long lines began causing a safety hazard. The order included vaccinated individuals and did not have an end date. The additional time was to allow businesses to prepare for the mandate, he said. Its one of the most robust in the area especially with the pool testing, Test-and-Stay and now at-home testing, said Reichelt, in addition to the targeted vaccine outreach. For more information and to stay updated, please visit the City of Springfields website at www.springfield-ma.gov, City of Springfield COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Situational Updates. Plans to do a full transformation on a Springfield nightclub are in full swing after a deadly shooting forced the business to close down in March 2022. Coyne said she worried this could lead to bullying. Springfield, IL - The IL Freedom Caucus is issuing the following statement on a Secretary of State internal policy requiring individuals taking a driving test to wear a mask. Before joining New England Public Media, Alden was a producer for the CBS NEWS program 60 Minutes. WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA (WWGB/WSHM)--An indoor mask mandate was implemented in West Springfield Wednesday night during a Board of Health meeting. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). Dr. Michael Hirsh, medical director for Worcester's division of public health, said while the city has seen six consecutive weeks of falling case numbers, "the CDC defines our region as a red zone so that the level of transmission is still very high. There are no longer any access restrictions or masking requirements for lodging services. Thompson shared that as of Feb. 14, only 24 percent of students are taking at-home tests. Sarno announced the change last week as a surge of COVID-19 cases were expected to continue after the holidays. +49 (0) 69/21 23 88 00 He's also counting on the goodwill of attendees. Website Design by Granicus . Submit. Coronavirus; Springfield mask mandate begins as COVID cases . Last week, the city had 279 COVID-19 cases, low enough for the city to lift the indoor mask mandate starting next week, but the 30 and under population is still a concern. lblakeley@tows.org Springfield school officials have extended the mask requirement in the city's school until at least March 28.