masks

Portland may become Maine’s first city with an indoor mask requirement since state restrictions were lifted earlier this year. The Portland City Council held a workshop Wednesday to discuss days after city health officials recommended leaders make mask-wearing mandatory in all indoor public spaces, regardless of whether or not someone has been vaccinated. In recent weeks, Maine has seen...

The Transportation Security Administration is increasing the penalty for people who violate the mandate to wear masks on planes, trains and other forms of transportation to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

City councilors in Portland will determine whether or not a mask mandate will be put in effect.

A group of parents of disabled students has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to strike down Iowa’s law banning schools from requiring masks, arguing it endangers their health and denies equal access to education.

More than 10 members of the Boston Red Sox were missing from Friday’s game because of COVID, while Fenway Park has new masking guidelines.

Provincetown, the popular tourist destination on the tip of Cape Cod, has downgraded its mask mandate to an advisory over a month after a major outbreak of COVID. The indoor mask mandate was instituted on July 25 after a unanimous vote by the Board of Selectmen and Health Board in order to quickly address growing health concerns over the Cape…

Hundreds of students at Amherst College in Massachusetts are pushing back against what they call the school’s overly restrictive COVID-19 protocols that include double masking indoors, restrictions on off-campus activities, and no in-person campus dining. In a letter sent to President Carolyn “Biddy” Martin a week ago, the students said “the guidelines are not based on any given data,...

The rancorous debate over whether returning students should wear masks in the classroom has moved from school boards to courtrooms. In at least 14 states, lawsuits have been filed either for or against masks in schools. In some cases, normally rule-enforcing school administrators are finding themselves fighting state leaders. Legal experts say that while state laws normally trump local control,…

The move is a response to the delta variant

Boston’s indoor mask mandate took effect at 8 a.m. Friday for everyone over the age of 2. This means masks must be worn in businesses, restaurants, and gyms. There are exceptions, however, such as private buildings and places of worship. The mandate is in response to the delta variant, which is the more contagious strain of COVID. It is also…

Beginning next week, masks will be required in all indoor public spaces in Newton, Massachusetts. Mayor Ruthanne Fuller announced Thursday that the mask mandate would go into effect on Sept. 2. It impacts all indoor settings accessible to the public. At restaurants and bars, customers will be allowed to be maskless “while seated and actively eating or drinking,” Fuller said…

This weekend’s naked bike ride in Philadelphia will require participants to wear masks.

Massachusetts student athletes and their coaches will be required to wear masks for indoor activities this fall, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association announced Thursday. The requirement doesn’t cover outdoor activity, where masks are optional for students and coaches. “Wishing all member schools a smooth start to the school year and a memorable fall sports season!” MIAA Executive Director Bob...

With back-to-school time here, Vermont’s governor and education officials are reissuing recommendations of ways to keep kids, educators and staff safe from COVID-19 in school buildings. The state sees increasing numbers of vaccinations as key to maintaining healthy, in-person instruction five days a week this school year. “It’s not something folks can take for granted in other parts of...

In Vermont, state leaders reminded communities and families about kids, teachers and staff safe from COVID when school comes back in session.

The three states are all hot spots in the nation’s recent COVID-19 surge, and defiant boards in Miami, Dallas, Houston, Phoenix and other urban areas argue that requiring masks protects students, teachers and staff from contracting and spreading the virus as many pediatric hospitals fill.

Massachusetts Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley said Friday he plans to ask the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to give him the authority to mandate masks for all K-12 public school students, teachers and staff through Oct. 1. Riley said in a statement that the reason for the mask mandate is to ensure that schools fully reopen safely and to…

Justin Kanew’s speech during a public comment period at a Williamson County Board of Education meeting encouraging parents to have their kids wear masks has gone viral. Kanew quoted his pastor who said “wearing masks is not in the bible, but taking care of others is.”

With all the talk of masks when students return to the classrooms this fall, what about when playing school sports? Will children in Massachusetts have to wear them? It depends. The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) decided against issuing guidance on the matter Wednesday, instead saying the decision should be left up to each individual school board and local community,…

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association board says when it comes to masks for fall sports, the decision should be up to each individual school board and local community.