On August 16th the Town of Bethel joined our neighboring towns of Danbury, Redding, Ridgefield and Brookfield in issuing a mandatory mask order that required everyone, regardless of vaccination status, to wear a mask in all indoor spaces that are accessible to the general public and where adequate social distancing is not possible.
The order applies to private businesses as well as public buildings. This order was due to the rapid surge in the COVID Delta variant, which had caused the rate of infections in our area to increase dramatically in short period of time.
We have received inquiries as to when the mask mandate will be lifted. With guidance from our local health officials, the leaders of the area towns are looking for the rate of new infections to fall below 10 per 100,000 population, and for the positivity rate to drop below 2% for two consecutive weeks in order to lift the mandate. Today those figures are 10.1 confirmed new cases per 100,000 with a positivity rate of 3.3%. These numbers seem to have stabilized, and we are very hopeful that we will see them begin to drop over the next few weeks.
I want to assure everyone that we are just as anxious to end this mandate as you are to see it go away. We need your help and cooperation to make that happen.
The single best way to move these numbers down, as well as to protect yourself, your family and your fellow residents are to get the vaccine. A pop-up vaccine clinic is being held today at the Bethel High School Track & Field Training Center from noon to 2pm. Walk-ins are welcome.
If you cannot attend today, please click here to reach the Connecticut Vaccine Portal to find another provider here.