City of Cambridge Amends Mask Order to Include Common Areas of Residential, Office, and Laboratory Buildings & Issues Temporary Restrictions on City Public Meetings & Indoor City Events Due to COVID-19

The City of Cambridge today amended its emergency order requiring that face masks or coverings be worn in indoor public places to include common areas of residential buildings with at least four units as well as common areas of office and laboratory buildings. The order applies to everyone over the age of two years old, with exceptions in alignment with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health guidelines. This amended order takes effect on Friday, January 7, 2022 at 12:01 a.m.

For the purposes of the amended order, Indoor Public Places include, but are not limited to:

• Common areas of residential buildings with at least four units such as any lobby, hallway, elevator, stairwell, laundry room, garage, fitness center/gym, etc.
• Common areas in indoor office and laboratory buildings such as any lobby, hallway, elevator, stairwell, garage, fitness center/gym, etc.
• Retail establishments
• Restaurants & bars - except while actively eating or drinking
• Performance venues
• Social clubs
• Houses of worship
• Event spaces
• Municipal buildings
• Personal care establishments
• Fitness establishments

The City also announced temporary restrictions on City public meetings and indoor City events due to COVID-19. All public meetings of City committees, advisory groups, community meetings and the like shall be conducted as remote meetings, rather than in-person meetings. No City-sponsored community events or City-sponsored public gatherings shall take place indoors. Such events may continue when conducted outdoors if participants are masked and are able to physically distance. This does not apply to City-sponsored youth activities or youth sports, or other City-sponsored athletic programs, which may continue to take place indoors.

The meetings of the Board of Zoning Appeal, Conservation Commission, Historical Commission and Neighborhood Conservation Commissions, License Commission, Planning Board, Pole and Conduit Commission and Election Commission are authorized to be held. Meetings will continue to be held virtually by utilizing web based technology that will stream audio and video – whenever possible – of the meeting. All meetings will allow for remote participation by the members of the public body.

Despite a significant reduction in deaths and hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in Massachusetts and a high proportion of vaccinated residents in the Commonwealth relative to other states, COVID-19 cases are on an upward trajectory in Cambridge, neighboring communities, and the Commonwealth due to the emergence of the highly contagious Omicron variant.

The full text of the amended temporary emergency order requiring the wearing of masks in indoor public places can be found here.

The full text of the temporary emergency restrictions on City public meetings and indoor city events can be found here.

More information and frequently asked questions about face coverings are available at www.cambridgema.gov/masks.

The City of Cambridge continues to monitor COVID-19 data closely and will make adjustments to COVID-19 testing and mitigation strategies as needed.

The City of Cambridge offers free COVID-19 PCR testing 7 days a week for people who live or work in Cambridge. More information is available at www.cambridgema.gov/testing.

All residents 5 years of age and older are encouraged to get vaccinated and get a booster dose, when eligible. To find a vaccine location near you, visit https://vaxfinder.mass.gov.

For more information and regular COVID-19 updates, please visit www.cambridgema.gov/covid19 to sign up for daily City of Cambridge email updates.