Salem Board of Health puts off mask mandate vote, study shows masks could prevent more COVID deaths

SALEM, Mass. — You’ll have to wear a mask while inside municipal buildings, but the Salem Board of Health put off its vote that would require mask-wearing in all public indoor spaces.

The board also held off on voting on a mandate that would require proof of vaccination for going into a store or business. The board mainly wrestled with how to enforce the mandates and make them fair. Board members did endorse the mayor’s proposal that would require all city and school employees to be vaccinated by early next year.

The Salem Hospital president spoke at last night’s meeting in support of any mitigation effort, but added vaccines are more effective than mask-wearing. The Massachusetts Medical Society released a statement recommending mask-wearing in all public indoor settings, regardless of vaccination status saying that “wearing masks while indoors is an effective and appropriate way to slow transmission of the disease, especially with the holiday and cold and flu seasons upon us.”

Many cities and towns in the state are bringing the mask mandates back, and many people are choosing to put them back on, as cases are going back up. According to a study from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, back in the summer when COVID cases were low 18% of Massachusetts residents were wearing masks. In the beginning of November, that percentage doubled to 36%. The study projects that if 95% of residents wore a mask, by March of 2022—the number of people dying from COVID would drop to just three per day, instead of the projected 29 per day if nothing changes. That would prevent about 1,500 deaths. Currently, the state is reporting that COVID is causing about 17 deaths a day.

But some researchers say on top of mask fatigue, there is another challenge with mask mandates. Some smaller cities and towns might not have the staffing levels to enforce it.

Happening tomorrow, the state’s Health and Human Services Secretary will be testifying in a State House hearing to talk about the surge in COVID cases and the challenges the state is facing right now.

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