People will now be required to wear masks “indoors in any indoor public spaces” in Hamden, in the wake of the first report of someone in town testing positive for the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
Mayor Lauren Garrett announced Thursday night that she has signed an executive order reinstating that mandate, for that reason.
“Doing our part in preventing the spread of Covid-19 will protect us and keep us all safe.
We want our town to thrive, and with this mask mandate, we can stay open by taking these healthy and safe measures,” Garrett stated in a release.
Early studies have suggested that the Omicron variant spread far more quickly than previous variants. Early studies also suggest that Omicron may be less severe that other variants like the Delta variant, which has fueled a surge of cases and hospitalizations in the region. The optimistic view among some experts is that the coronavirus may grow more contagious but less dangerous with each variant, settling into an “endemic” that can easily be accommodated in everyday life rather than a “pandemic.”
Garrett’s release noted that “vaccination is the primary preventative method to control the spread of Covid-19. Preventing the spread of Covid-19 is a multi-pronged approach which includes frequent hand washing, maintaining social distancing indoors, avoiding large social gatherings, vaccination, and wearing masks indoors.”