Health Commissioner Sigalle Reiss announced on Friday, May 20, that masks will be required beginning Monday, May 23 in indoor areas owned by the town. The order cited a recent uptick in COVID-19 cases.

These town-owned spaces include the Public Schools of Brookline (PSB), Brookline Public Libraries and the Brookline Senior Center. PSB will no longer be a mask-friendly environment and face-coverings will be required instead.

The town plans to reconsider the need to mask weekly based on the number of COVID-19 cases in the town and county, in addition to other data. Currently, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the town is at a high community risk level.

Reiss said when risk levels decrease in the town, the mask mandate will be removed.

“We consistently look at COVID-19 data trends and hope this is a short-term requirement following CDC guidance for counties designated as high risk. The Department will lift the mask requirement once Norfolk County drops to the CDC moderate or low COVID-19 risk levels, or Brookline-specific data suggests that we are no longer in a surge,” Reiss said.

The order does not require private businesses to require masks but encourages them to do so.