Coronavirus 2019 (COVID19)

Concord Board of Health Strongly Advises Wearing Masks in Indoor Public Settings

Sept. 27, 2021

The Concord Board of Health again strongly advises that everyone wear a face covering while indoors in public settings. The Board strongly encourages all businesses—including retail, fitness, personal care and office buildings –to require staff and patrons to wear face coverings while indoors, especially when 6 ft. of distance between persons cannot be maintained, except when eating or drinking.

Why are face coverings still important?

Almost all cases of COVID in Massachusetts are now due to the Delta variant of the virus. The Delta variant is much more contagious and spreads more than twice as easily from one person to another, compared with earlier strains of the virus. Individuals infected with the Delta variant tend to have more virus in their respiratory tracts than other variants and infected individuals may carry the virus for a longer period.

Concord has seen a large increase in COVID cases beginning in mid-July, due to the Delta variant. From July 1 through September 22, Concord has had 134 COVID cases (compared to 21 cases in May and 1 case in June). 29 of these cases were in children less than age 12 who are not vaccinated. Of the remaining 105 cases, 88 were in fully vaccinated individuals. 19 new cases were diagnosed in the past week.

Many Concord residents remain vulnerable to infection. Children under age 12 are still unable to be vaccinated. Seniors and others may have medical conditions that predispose them to disease that is more serious. Wearing a mask protects both the wearer and others in the community who are vulnerable to disease.

The CDC recommends that everyone, including fully vaccinated individuals, in areas with “Substantial” and “High” COVID transmission rates, should wear a mask in indoor public settings to help prevent spread of Delta and protect others. Middlesex County is currently at High Risk of COVID transmission, and all Massachusetts counties are now at High or Substantial Risk for transmission.

Why isn’t the Board of Health mandating face coverings?

The Board of Health recognizes that mask mandates are controversial. In making its decision not to issue an order requiring face coverings indoors, the Board considered MDPH data specific to Concord, which shows the town has a lower incidence of COVID-19 cases and lower test positivity rate than many other towns in Middlesex County. Concord also has a high vaccination rate, which helps prevent the spread of the disease and reduces the severity of COVID in vaccinated individuals, Instead of requiring face coverings, the Board is asking the Concord community to be aware of the disease situation and to behave responsibly by wearing masks indoors to help protect themselves and others and prevent the spread of COVID. Know that MDPH data is continually monitored, and if necessary, the Board of Health will reconsider the need for a mask mandate.

The Board of Health strongly supports the decision by the Concord School Committee to require everyone to wear masks indoors at school. This is especially important in schools where 6 ft. of distance between people can often not be maintained, and a significant number of school-aged population remain unvaccinated. Although there have been several new COVID cases in schoolchildren since the start of the school year, there is no evidence of transmission between students in school; cases appear to be related to activities occurring outside of school hours.

Personal choices about behavior and activities are also very important in helping stop the spread of COVID. Everyone, even vaccinated individuals, should be thoughtful and careful about attending crowded indoor spaces (public and private) where respiratory viruses spread more easily. Please give careful consideration to the indoor activities children participate in outside of school hours. The Board urges the Concord community to do all it can to prevent disease and help keep our schools open for in-person learning. Wearing masks indoors will also help our stores and restaurants stay open. The Board appreciates Concord’s high vaccination rate and residents’ strong adherence to public health best practices.

The Concord Board of Health endorses recommendations from other public health entities about wearing face coverings indoors.

CDC recommends:

Everyone, including fully vaccinated individuals, in areas with “Substantial” and “High” COVID transmission rates, should wear a mask in indoor public settings to help prevent spread of Delta and protect others.
Unvaccinated individuals should wear face coverings when in public indoor settings.
Fully vaccinated people might choose to wear a mask regardless of the level of transmission, particularly if they are immunocompromised or at increased risk for severe disease from COVID-19, or if they have someone in their household who is immunocompromised, at increased risk of severe disease or not fully vaccinated. This includes parents who have unvaccinated children at home.

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Public school students (age 5 and above) and staff in all grades are required to wear masks indoors in schools (with some limited exceptions). The mask requirement will be in place until at least October 1, 2021 and will be reviewed periodically thereafter.

American Academy of Pediatrics recommends:

All students older than 2 years and all school staff should wear face masks at school (unless medical or developmental conditions prohibit use).

Mask Requirements in Massachusetts

Effective July 30: The Department of Public Health has issued a new mask advisory in light of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s updated guidance. Fully vaccinated individuals are advised to wear a mask or face covering when indoors (and not in your own home) if you have a weakened immune system, or if you are at increased risk for severe disease because of your age or an underlying medical condition, or if someone in your household has a weakened immune system, is at increased risk for severe disease, or is an unvaccinated adult. Masks are still mandatory for all individuals on public and private transportation systems (including rideshares, livery, taxi, ferries, MBTA, Commuter Rail and transportation stations), in healthcare facilities and in other settings hosting vulnerable populations, such as congregate care settings.

Please Note: The Commonwealth’s mask order was rescinded on May 29, 2021.

More information about mask requirements in Massachusetts can be found by clicking here.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health webpage https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-response-reporting provides a daily update of COVID cases in Massachusetts including information for Middlesex County.

Mask requirements may vary depending on business, please check with individual businesses about their mask policy.

Town of Concord COVID-19 Updates

Any new updates from the Town will be posted below. For updates from past weeks, please click here or view the page "COVID-19 Past Updates" on the left hand column.

August 19, 2021

COVID-19 Update August 19, 2021

Public Health Update on the COVID-19 Pandemic and Delta Variant

Concord residents should be aware of the CDC’s updated guidance on COVID-19 and the Delta variant of the virus. The Delta variant is much more contagious and spreads more than twice as easily from one person to another, compared with earlier strains of the virus. Individuals infected with the Delta variant tend to have more virus in their respiratory tracts than other variants and infected individuals may carry the virus for a longer period. These two factors contribute to the increased transmissibility seen with the Delta variant. The Delta variant is now by far the most prevalent variant in Massachusetts.

Information from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) can be found here.

Given what is known about the Delta variant, vaccine effectiveness, and current vaccine coverage, CDC recommends layered prevention strategies, such as wearing masks, to reduce the transmission of this variant.

Everyone, even vaccinated individuals, should be thoughtful and careful about attending crowded indoor gatherings where respiratory viruses spread more easily.

CDC recommends:

Everyone, including fully vaccinated individuals, in areas with “Substantial” and “High” COVID transmission rates, should wear a mask in indoor public settings to help prevent spread of Delta and protect others. All Massachusetts counties are now at High or Substantial Risk for COVID transmission. Middlesex County is currently at High Risk of disease transmission, as are Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Hamden, Nantucket, Plymouth and Suffolk counties. Worcester, Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire and Norfolk counties are at Substantial risk. CDC’s county-level map of transmission rates can be used as guidance to determine where people should to be masking indoors even if fully vaccinated.
Unvaccinated individuals should wear face coverings when in public indoor settings.
Some fully vaccinated people can get breakthrough infections and may be contagious. From July 1-Ausgust 16, there have been 59 COVID cases in Concord. 29 of these cases were in fully vaccinated individuals; 19 were in children under age 12 who cannot be vaccinated. Fully vaccinated people with symptomatic breakthrough infections can transmit the virus to others. CDC is continuing to assess data on whether fully vaccinated people with asymptomatic breakthrough infections can transmit the disease.
Symptoms in fully vaccinated people may be milder than in unvaccinated individuals. Everyone should get tested if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
Fully vaccinated people who come into close contact with someone with COVID-19 should consider getting tested 3-5 days after the date exposure and wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days after exposure or until a negative test result. A list of Massachusetts COVID testing sites can be found at: https://www.mass.gov/covid-19-testing.
Fully vaccinated people might choose to wear a mask regardless of the level of transmission, particularly if they are immunocompromised or at increased risk for severe disease from COVID-19, or if they have someone in their household who is immunocompromised, at increased risk of severe disease or not fully vaccinated. This includes parents who have unvaccinated children at home.
Unvaccinated individuals should get vaccinated and continue masking until they are fully vaccinated. With the Delta variant, this is more urgent than ever. The highest spread of cases and severe outcomes is happening in places with low vaccination rates. Data demonstrate that the vaccines are preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death, and are effective against the Delta variant. A list of Massachusetts COVID vaccine sites can be found at: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-vaccination-locations

July 2021

CDC Update on the COVID-19 Pandemic and Delta Variant

The Concord Health Division wants to make residents aware that on July 27, 2021, the CDC issued updated guidance on COVID-19 and the Delta variant of the virus. Key messages in this guidance include:

Data show the Delta variant is much more contagious than past versions of the virus.

Delta spreads more than twice as easily from one person to another, compared with earlier strains. Individuals infected with the Delta variant tend to have more virus in their respiratory tract than other variants and infected individuals may carry the virus longer. These two factors contribute to the increased transmissibility seen with the Delta variant. According to MDPH, Delta is likely now the most prevalent variant in Massachusetts.

Some vaccinated people can get Delta in a breakthrough infection and may be contagious.

A COVID cluster in Provincetown that began over the July 4 weekend currently involves 765 cases; approximately 70% of individuals testing positive were fully vaccinated. Most vaccinated people who get the Delta variant become only mildly ill, but it is not yet well understood how contagious these individual may be and the risk they may pose to others.

Unvaccinated individuals should wear face coverings when in public indoor settings.

CDC recommends that everyone, including fully vaccinated individuals, in areas with “Substantial” and “High” COVID transmission rates wear a mask in public indoor settings to help prevent spread of Delta and protect others. CDC’s county-level map of transmission rates can be used as guidance to determine where people should to be masking indoors even if fully vaccinated. At present in Massachusetts, and Norfolk Counties are at “Moderate” Risk; Suffolk, Middlesex, Dukes and Nantucket Counties are at “Substantial” Risk, and Barnstable County is at “High” Risk.

CDC recommends that fully vaccinated people who have a known exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 be tested 3-5 days after exposure, and to wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days or until they receive a negative test result. A list of Massachusetts COVID testing sites can be found at: https://www.mass.gov/covid-19-testing

Fully vaccinated people might choose to wear a mask regardless of the level of transmission, particularly if they are immunocompromised or at increased risk for severe disease from COVID-19, or if they have someone in their household who is immunocompromised, at increased risk of severe disease or not fully vaccinated.

Unvaccinated individuals should get vaccinated and continue masking until they are fully vaccinated. With the Delta variant, this is more urgent than ever. The highest spread of cases and severe outcomes is happening in places with low vaccination rates. Data demonstrate that the vaccines are preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death, and are effective against the Delta variant. A list of Massachusetts COVID vaccine sites can be found at: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-vaccination-locations

March 17, 2021

Additional eligibility has been added to Phase 2; As of Monday March 22nd, people who are 60 years of age and older and certain workers who fall into the following categories: restaurant and café, food industry, grocery and convenience store, food pantry including volunteers, medical supply chain, vaccine development, transit, public works, utility, sanitation workers, public health, court system, and funeral workers are eligible to be vaccinated. For the complete list of workers who are eligible within this next part of Phase 2, please visit the State's website.

As of April 5, 2021 the following people will be eligible in Phase 2:

People who are 55 or older
People with 1 certain medical condition

If your group is not specifically listed in either Phase 1 or Phase 2, you will be eligible to receive the vaccine in Phase 3, which will launch April 19, 2021.

Appointments for mass vaccination sites are now done through a new pre-registration system that calls, texts, or emails you directly and provides you with a unique code to sign up for an appointment. You have 24 hours after receiving the code to sign up for your appointment. The website to use is vaccinesignup.mass.gov or visit mass.gov/vaccine and you can find the website link and information is on the page.

If you are not comfortable using the internet, you can call 211 and have a representative assist you with pre-registration.

Vaxfinder.mass.gov can still be used to find appointments at non-mass vaccination sites.

Current Capacity Limits

Beginning at 12:01 a.m. on December 26, 2020, Massachusetts will implement temporary capacity limits to stop the spread of COVID-19 as cases and hospitalizations rise. Businesses must adhere to the following capacity limitations. The revised limits below supersede existing limits in the Phase 3, Step 1 Sector-Specific Protocols. Except for the specified adjustments to capacity limitations, all other terms of COVID-19 gatherings order (including exceptions) and all sector-specific workplace safety rules remain unchanged. These limits are in effect until January 10, 2021 unless further extended by the Governor.

Sector	Revised Capacity Limits^†	Notes
Gatherings (adjusting Order No. 57)	10 persons indoors 25 persons outdoors	applies to both private homes and event venues and public spaces
Restaurants	25% of seating capacity	(a) workers/staff excluded from occupancy count; (b) applies separately to indoor and outdoor capacity
Close Contact Personal Services	25%	workers/staff excluded from occupancy count
Indoor and Outdoor Events	10 persons indoors 25 persons outdoors	workers/staff excluded from occupancy count
Theaters and Performance Venues (Indoor performance venues remain closed)	Movie theaters – 25% and maximum 50 people Outdoor performance venues – 25% and maximum 25 people
Casinos	25%	MGC to re-issue capacity rules as necessary
Office Spaces	25%
Places of Worship	25%	workers/staff excluded from occupancy count
Retail Businesses	25%	workers/staff excluded from occupancy count
Driving and Flight Schools	25%
Golf Facilities	25%	applies only to indoor spaces
Libraries	25%
Operators of Lodgings	25%	applies only to common areas
Arcades & Other Indoor & Outdoor Recreation Businesses	25%
Fitness Centers and Health Clubs	25%
Museums / Cultural & Historical Facilities / Guided Tours by vehicles and vessels	25%
Sectors Not Otherwise Addressed	25%
Common Areas in facilities subject to EEA-issued COVID-19 safety rules	25%	applies only to indoor spaces and excludes youth and amateur sports facilities

^†General Provision: Where no licensed or permitted capacity allowance is on record and for any enclosed space within a larger facility, occupancy shall be limited to no more than 5 persons per 1,000 square feet.

As you plan for the Holidays please consider your friends, family and communities safety during COVID-19. Wear a mask, social distance, open doors and windows. The Massachusetts Governor has restricted gathering at private residences to 10, unless you are from the same household. For more information go to mass.gov

Massachusetts Travel Orders Information

Effective August 1, 2020, all visitors and returning residents entering Massachusetts must follow new travel orders. The Commonwealth has made great progress to slow the spread of COVID-19 and gradually re-open the economy, and all visitors have a responsibility to help us keep transmission levels as low as possible.

All visitors entering Massachusetts, including returning residents, who do not meet an exemption, are required to:
Complete the Massachusetts Travel Form prior to arrival, unless you are visiting from a lower-risk state designated by the Department of Public Health.
Quarantine for 14 days or produce a negative COVID-19 test result that has been administered up to 72-hours prior to your arrival in Massachusetts.

If your COVID-19 test result has not been received prior to arrival, visitors, and residents must quarantine until they receive a negative test result.

Failure to comply may result in a $500 fine per day.
Please find more information on the State's COVID-19 Website, including the list of lower-risk states, exemptions, business guidance and other details.

Please share this online COVID Safe Practices Concern Form with anyone who would like to report possible concerns about non-compliance with the Commonwealth’s travel advisory quarantine, face covering, gathering, or other public health rules.

Massachusetts Department of Public Health COVID-19 Dashboard

https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-response-reporting

The Dashboard is a comprehensive and detailed COVID-19 data report, which includes trend data in a variety of areas (e.g. information on cases rates, testing, geography of confirmed cases etc.), death related data and specific data on COVID-19 hospital census information, nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, rest homes (with known clusters), and PPE distribution is updated daily by 4PM. City and town case data are published weekly each Wednesday.