Stamford, CONN. –Mayor David Martin has issued an executive order requiring facemasks or coverings in all indoor public spaces in Stamford regardless of vaccination status effective 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 12. The order is in response to new CDC guidelines and the ongoing public health emergency stemming from the substantial rise in Delta variant Covid-19 cases across the State of Connecticut and will remain in effect until further notice.

All outdoor gatherings of more than 100 persons at City of Stamford facilities or parks will also require masking, regardless of vaccination status, effective Thursday, August 12.

On August 6, Governor Ned Lamont’s statewide order provided municipal leaders with the option of requiring masks in indoor public places within their respective towns and cities. New Haven and Hartford have also announced that the wearing of masks or cloth face coverings is required in any indoor public spaces.

Mask or face covering must be compliant with CDC guidelines and are required in any private indoor business or place of employment where social distancing is impractical, unlikely, or difficult to maintain. This requirement extends to bars, restaurants, theatres, office buildings, and gyms.

“I have and will continue to always put the safety and wellbeing of Stamford residents first,” said Mayor Martin. “This mask mandate is in the best interests of the people of our City, and is necessary to minimize the substantial threat to public health due to the ongoing rise in the spread of Covid-19.”

The CDC has announced that all Connecticut counties were designated as having “substantial” or “high” community spread of Covid-19. The designation of “substantial” is given to counties with greater than 50 cases of COVID per 100,000 residents.

As of August 5, Stamford has shown a 7-Day-Average of 19.4 cases per 100k residents, up a considerable amount from the 7-Day-Average low of .3 cases as reported on June 21.

“Given the recent acceleration in the spread of the Delta variant, wearing a face mask or covering in indoor public spaces, along with getting vaccinated, remain the most effective mitigation strategies in combatting against Covid-19,” said Stamford’s Medical Advisor Dr. Henry Yoon.

Mayor Martin is also recommending the Board of Education require masks to be worn by students and faculty inside Stamford Public School buildings, and for SPS staff to be required to be vaccinated.

In anticipation of schools reopening in just a few weeks, this is a critical time to minimize the impact the Delta variant can have on the broader community, particularly unvaccinated children under the age of 12 in our public schools.

“As Mayor, it is my job to take action and ensure that we are as prepared as possible in the face of this public health emergency. I will continue to make decisions in the best interest of our residents,” Martin stated. “Getting vaccinated and wearing a mask indoors will better enable you to protect yourselves and those around you from contracting Covid-19, particularly those who are immunocompromised or ineligible to receive the vaccine.”  

Mask Mandate Order 8-10-21