Berkshire County Town Chooses to Keep Mask Advisory Active

As many are aware by now, towns and cities throughout Berkshire County have lifted their mask advisories as COVID-19 cases continue to decrease. For example, it was recently announced in the media that Pittsfield Public Schools are now making masking indoors optional. In addition, the Berkshire Museum has suspended mask and vaccine requirements for visitors. The towns of Lee, Lenox, and Stockbridge have done away with requiring indoor masking as reported in the Berkshire Eagle.

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One Berkshire County town that is still keeping the indoor mask advisory in place is Great Barrington. Happily, this doesn't come as a surprise to me. You may remember back in August of 2021, Great Barrington was one of the first towns in the Berkshires to put an indoor mask mandate in place. Not too long after the August mandate took effect, the town extended it to outdoor gatherings for people near, or in groups without a six-foot social distancing option.

The advisory is a little different than the mandate from last year as it's a recommendation that people wear masks indoors for now and not a full-blown requirement. You'll want to check and respect the policy of the individual building in which you enter. During a recent on-air interview, Jenise Lucy, Executive Director of Berkshire South Regional Community Center in Great Barrington mentioned that as of Monday (Mar. 7) the center has become mask optional which she mentioned follows suit with Berkshire Hills Regional School District's mask policy. At our Great Barrington studios (WSBS), we ask people that they wear a mask if they're not fully vaccinated. At least that's our policy for now. Again, check with each business, organization, etc. as these indoor mask policies are case-by-case and not one size fits all.

With warmer weather on the horizon and possible continuation in the decrease of COVID-19 cases throughout the county, the Great Barrington indoor mask advisory could be over before you know it. As the saying goes, better to be safe than sorry.

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Filed Under: Berkshire County, Great Barrington, Lee, Lenox, Pittsfield, Stockbridge

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