Town of Simsbury Issues Mask Mandate – Face Coverings Required in All Indoor Locations, Including Businesses

Town of Simsbury Issues Mask Mandate – Face Coverings Required in All Indoor Locations, Including Businesses

As of Monday, August 23, 2021 at 12:01 am, face coverings are now required to be worn in Simsbury by all individuals over the age of two, regardless of vaccination status, in all indoor public spaces, including businesses. Exceptions to this include: a person with a medical condition, behavioral condition, or disability in which wearing a mask is contrary to their health and safety; anyone under the age of two years; a person who is eating or drinking; a person who is in an indoor space when they are alone or otherwise separated from others by a partition and at least six feet of distance, such as but not limited to an office setting.

This order also applies to private establishments including businesses except for residential dwellings. This action was taken pursuant to Governor Lamont’s Executive Order No. 13A, which permits municipalities to require the universal use of face coverings in indoor public places within their respective towns and cities for all individuals, regardless of vaccination status.

“The health and safety of our residents is our top priority,” said First Selectman Eric Wellman.  “With the rapid increase in cases in our area, breakthrough cases amongst vaccinated individuals, and the highly transmissible nature of the Delta variant, this action will help protect residents, business owners, and visitors to Simsbury. It’s critical that we take this proactive approach to ensure that our children can go to school in person, and our businesses can continue to operate safely. I thank our residents for doing their part to keep our community safe.” 

The Simsbury Board of Selectmen voted unanimously on Friday to support Town Manager Maria Capriola’s decision to issue the emergency order in an effort to help control the spread of COVID-19. Other towns in Connecticut have begun taking this measure, including our neighbor Bloomfield. Many chief executive officers from towns and cities throughout Connecticut are urging the Governor to issue a state-wide face covering mandate for indoor public spaces, including our Town Manager. Town Manager Maria Capriola said, “It is discouraging to see our positive case numbers trending in a direction we haven’t seen since early spring of this year and last fall. As a community we are rapidly approaching the state’s COVID-19 red alert municipal status. This is the highest level of risk in the alert system. Throughout the pandemic the Town has taken steps to carefully balance the safety and health of our residents and patrons, while keeping essential services and infrastructure fully operational. This mask mandate will help to ensure that continues.”

Over the past several weeks, the number of positive cases in Simsbury has continued to increase.  For the week ending July 31^st there were 8 new cases; for the week ending August 7^th Simsbury had 19 new cases, and for the week ending August 14^th there were 28 new cases. 

“This emergency order is in the best interest of the Town of Simsbury,” said Deputy First Selectman Sean Askham.  “We are so grateful to our residents and business owners for their continued diligence in adhering to the constantly evolving public health guidance, and for their patience and flexibility as we work together to adapt to the challenges brought on by the pandemic.”

The full text of the emergency order can be found here.

Simsbury volunteers have been generously donating cloth face coverings to the Town for our community.  To date our generous volunteers have donated over 5,700 hand-made face coverings.  If you are a Simsbury resident, business, or an employee of a Simsbury business, you may request free cloth face coverings by contacting the Simsbury Senior Center at (860) 658-3273.

The Town has drafted these easily printable posters for the business community to hang stating that face masks are required upon entry. It is available in 8.5 x 11 inch paper as well as 11 x 17 inch paper.