On January 3, 2022, in response to the spread of the Delta variant and the Omicron variant, the Wayland Board of Health issued a face covering advisory and is urging all residents, regardless of vaccination status, to wear a mask or face covering when indoors (and not in your own home). The Board particularly urges this recommendation 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 unvaccinated.  The Board strongly urges that all establishments serving the public in Wayland urge anyone entering their establishments to wear a mask while indoors in their facilities.  The Board further requests that all establishments in the town of Wayland provide signage urging that all people entering their facilities wear masks.  As a reminder, as a business owner you could require face coverings in your business.

The Board asks that all businesses and establishments in Wayland post a sign, in a clearly visible location, reminding people to wear a face covering.  We have suggested signage that businesses can use, for a copy of the sign please go to the Health Department website or click here.  If you can’t print the sign and you want a copy please email us at health@wayland.ma.us.

On December 21, 2021 the State issued a Winter Face Covering Advisory, language is included below:

COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine boosters are highly effective at protecting against serious illness, hospitalization and death and every individual who is eligible and works, studies or resides in Massachusetts is strongly urged to get vaccinated and boosted. The Department of Public Health urges all eligible residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19 because vaccination provides the most effective protection from severe illness associated with COVID-19.  (Note: similar language used in the first paragraph of this Wayland BoH press release is used in the state advisory memo)

Your primary care physician can advise you whether you are at increased risk.  Information from the Centers for Disease Control regarding the conditions that may put you at increased risk can be found here:https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html.

All people in Massachusetts (regardless of vaccination status) are required to continue wearing face coverings in certain settings, including transportation and health care facilities.  Please see www.mass.gov/maskrules for a complete list of venues where face coverings have remained mandatory since May 29, 2021.

For individuals who are not fully vaccinated, it is especially important that you wear a face covering or mask any time you are indoors and not in your own home to reduce the chance that you may spread COVID-19 to other people. People who show no symptoms of illness may still be able to spread COVID-19.

An individual is fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine. However, if a fully vaccinated individual becomes symptomatic, they should be tested and wear a mask until receiving test results.  NOTE: this language has changed by the state as of last week to: those who have been boosted, or have completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine within the last 6 months or completed the primary series of J&J vaccine within the last 2 months.

When you wear a face covering or cloth mask, it should:

• Fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face,
• Be secured with ties or ear loops
• Include multiple layers of fabric
• Allow for breathing without restriction, and be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape.

For more information, please refer to the CDC at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html  This advisory may change based on public health data and further guidance from the CDC