On Friday, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced that the proof of vaccination policy for indoor businesses is no longer needed.
The city’s “B Together” policy, which requires patrons and staff of indoor businesses to show proof of vaccination, will be lifted immediately. However, masks will still be required indoors.
Recent COVID-19 data shows that “Boston has a 4.0% community positivity rate; a 90.7% occupancy rate of adult ICU beds, and a 7-day average of adult COVID-19 hospitalizations at 195.9 per day,” according to Boston 25 News.
Mayor Michelle Wu said “The public health data shows that we’re ready to take this step in our recovery”.
“This news highlights how much progress we’ve made in our fight against COVID-19 thanks to vaccines & boosters—which have always been our most effective weapon against the pandemic,” she added.
Wu also reported that “Boston is officially below the 3 critical thresholds for heightened COVID protections,” which allowed the city to lift the proof of vaccination requirement.
Casey Furtaw at the restaurant Sonsie told CBS Boston, “We took down the mandate posters, we told our staff. It’s one less thing we have to manage on a day-to-day basis. We can focus on our guests. It’s so uplifting to hear these things”.
A resident of Boston, Uma Bhuju, said “I’m so used to having to show so much proof everywhere I go. It’s definitely a change which is a little bit nerve-wracking but mostly I feel it’s really exciting”.
The Boston Public Health Commission is reportedly set to review mask requirements in the city in the near future.