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Erie County mask mandate will be lifted on Monday

Starting on Monday, the requirement for masks at all Erie County-owned buildings will be lifted.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz announced that the mask mandate currently in effect for county-owned buildings will be lifted on Monday.

According to Saturday's news release, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website now has information on COVID-19 Community Levels nationwide, which is the measure of the impact of COVID-19 illness on community health and health care systems. Erie County is listed in the 'medium' category. 

“The CDC’s Community Level indicators show that Erie County is on the right track in the fight against the virus, and our own information about COVID-19 in the community corroborates what they are seeing. Cases and hospitalizations are decreasing, which is very encouraging,” Poloncarz said.

“With this evidence in hand, the mask mandate in Erie County buildings will be lifted as of Monday, February 28. We are still closely monitoring the spread of the virus and will take other actions as necessary and when possible.”

So far, case numbers and hospitalizations in Erie County have continued to decline. But keep in mind that this does not affect the state-imposed mask mandates for schools or health care, which will remain in effect.

Folks living in communities in the CDC’s “medium” category are encouraged to practice individual- and household-level prevention behaviors, including:

  • If you are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease, talk to your health care provider about whether you need to wear a mask and take other precautions (e.g., testing).
  • If you have household or social contact with someone at high risk for severe disease, consider self-testing to detect infection before contact or consider wearing a mask when indoors with them.
  • Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.
  • Maintain improved ventilation throughout indoor spaces when possible.
  • Follow CDC recommendations for isolation and quarantine, including getting tested if you are exposed to COVID-19 or have symptoms of COVID-19.
  • If you are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease, have a plan for rapid testing if needed (e.g., having home tests or access to testing) and talk to your health care provider about whether you are a candidate for treatments like oral antivirals, PrEP, and monoclonal antibodies.

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