Adams Board of Health Decides Against indoor Mask Mandate

ADAMS, Mass. — After community feedback and a drop in case numbers, the Board of Health has decided not to issue an indoor mask mandate for the town. 

This decision comes following the board mulling the possibility during the last several meetings, as case numbers surged throughout the county in recent months. Despite forgoing a mandate, the board approved the language of signage — which it plans to distribute throughout town — urging residents to get vaccinated for COVID-19 and wear a mask in public places. 

Between Jan. 22 and 28, Adams recorded 66 new COVID-19 cases, 29 of which were in residents age 40 and older. Additionally, 36 new residents became fully vaccinated, meaning 70 percent of the town is now vaccinated, with 58 more getting booster shots. 

Board Chair David Rhoads said COVID-19 cases in Adams and Berkshire County are going down after the surge while cautioning the drop is likely in part due to the availability of home tests. Deaths, however, are not going down, according to Rhoads, with 13 COVID-19 related deaths in the county over the last two weeks. 

"The CDC still considers us high transmission," Rhoads said. "There were a number of deaths. One of the tragic things about this; even though it seems like the omicron illness is less, but the number of deaths is going up." 

After calling for community feedback, the board received 16 written responses from residents on what steps they should take with COVID-19 restrictions. Six responses supported a mandate, one opposed and six supported a strong advisory. 

In addition to the responses, the board received an open letter refuting the effectiveness of masks. Rhoads said the studies and data presented in the letter were flawed and inaccurate. 

"Most of those studies predate COVID," he said. "Most of those studies employed cloth masks. Most of those studies are not in the settings we're talking about. And the virus that is being prevented is influenza. We know that influenza has a much greater transmission by surface contact than COVID. And so, even wearing masks does not help if it was transmitted via surfaces."

Selectman Howard Rosenberg was in attendance at the meeting and urged the board, in the long term, to focus on issues of health and wellness. He noted that a large portion of those hospitalized with COVID-19 already had compromised immune systems because of preventable and treatable conditions, such as heart disease. 

"This would not have been as deadly an epidemic if Americans were healthier," he said. "There needs to be a focus on it, because right now the message is 'Oh, if I wear a mask and I get vaccinated and boosted, I'm fine.' Well, guess what? When the next epidemic comes, before there's a vaccine, it's going to take out another half a million people." 

The board members agreed, noting that they would be willing to work with Rosenberg and others on messaging in the future. 

"I think, hearing what you said, I think maybe we can try to encourage a bit more specificity rather than just saying, 'get more exercise,'" Rhoads said.

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