SUNDERLAND — The Board of Health voted to rescind its Sept. 16 mandate requiring masks in all public buildings and businesses, and replaced it with a policy requiring only unvaccinated individuals to wear a mask.
The decision was made at Monday’s Board of Health meeting and Chair Caitlyn Rock delivered the news to the Selectboard at its meeting shortly after. She said the COVID-19 case counts in Sunderland are low enough — there have been seven cases in the last 14 days, with five of those being University of Massachusetts Amherst students — that paring down the mask mandate is reasonable.
“We try to consider as much as possible — how you get the spread, how it happens — and that’s what we’re looking at,” Rock told the Selectboard. “That’s why we think it is time. We’re doing the best we can with what we’ve got.”
Rock said the mandate applies to both town buildings and private businesses, but business owners can require masks if they want.
“Individual businesses can still make their own mask requirements,” Rock said, “so if it’s on their door, you should follow their masking requirements.”
Selectboard member David Pierce likened individual business requirements on mask wearing to a “no shoes, no shirt” policy. Chair Tom Fydenkevez said the Board of Health’s policy was reasonable, but he hopes to avoid having town businesses become the “vaccination police.”
Students and staff at Sunderland Elementary School are still required to wear masks due to both the School Committee and state’s orders. Sunderland School Committee member Peter Gagarin said student ineligibility for vaccines is the reason behind the policy remaining in place.
“We’re all working toward the same thing, we just have a different population in the schools with so many young ones that are obviously unvaccinated,” Gagarin said to the Selectboard. “Therefore, we’re maintaining the mask mandate in schools.”
Rock said the Board of Health will be constantly monitoring the case numbers as the holidays approach and can call an emergency meeting anytime to reinstate a more strict mask policy if needed. She noted the government may approve vaccinating children soon.
“We went back and forth a lot on whether this was the right time to lift it because it’s already the end of October and we’re heading into indoor season, Thanksgiving, Christmas and students coming back (from winter break),” Rock said.
Fydenkevez emphasized the importance of “personal responsibility” and encouraged those who want to wear a mask to continue doing so.
“If you feel comfortable wearing a mask, continue wearing a mask,” Fydenkevez said. “I don’t think anybody looks at you strange, at least in Massachusetts.”
Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.