COVID

Brookline reinstates mask mandate

“We consistently look at COVID-19 data trends and hope this is a short-term requirement."

Craig F. Walker/Globe staff

May 23, 2022

Face coverings are now required in Brookline’s town-owned property and public gathering spaces.

The town reinstated its mask mandate on Monday. Buildings covered by the mandate include the library, public schools, and the senior center, among others.

The decision came after the Brookline Advisory Council on Public Health considered COVID-19 case data for Brookline schools and compared it to others, according to a town statement.

Officials said the town will evaluate the need for masking weekly.

“We consistently look at COVID-19 data trends and hope this is a short-term requirement following CDC guidance for counties designated as high risk,” town Health Commissioner Sigalle Reiss said in the release. “The Department will lift the mask requirement once Norfolk County drops to the CDC moderate or low COVID-19 risk levels, or Brookline-specific data suggests that we are no longer in a surge.”

Most of Massachusetts is labeled as high risk for COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.