Dane County Public Health officials have issued an indoor mask mandate scheduled to take effect at 12:01 am this upcoming Thursday.
The order states that all Dane County residents above the age of two must wear a face covering while in an indoor setting that is not an individual's living space.
PHDMC officials have stated that the decision to reinstate a mask mandate, which was initially allowed to expire this past June, comes as a result of an increased number of COVID-19 cases within Door County.
In a statement to the press, Janel Heinrich, Director of Public Health Madison and Dane County, encouraged residents to take a version of the COVID-19 vaccine and explained that the decision to reinstate a mask mandate comes as a precautionary measure.
“We still believe vaccines are our best tool to protect our community,” said Heinrich. “But as cases continue to increase, requiring face coverings is an easy added layer of protection to further help keep people safe, including our youngest children not yet eligible to be vaccinated.”
The announcement comes following a statement in July where PHDMC officials strongly urged individuals to wear masks regardless of their vaccine status in order to prevent the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19.
“We’d like to prevent getting to an area of higher transmission, which is why we’re putting forth this advisory today, to encourage mask-wearing to further give us better tools to further reduce the spread of this illness,” said Heinrich this past July.
The decision to reimplement a mask mandate follows the announcement by UW Madison on Aug. 3 that students will be required to wear face covering while in enclosed spaces on campus during the upcoming fall semester.
