Masks will no longer be required to enter state courthouses under an order that later this week will remove another pandemic-era rule amid declining case counts in Massachusetts.
The Supreme Judicial Court published a new order Monday, which will take effect on March 23, that lifts the masking requirement but still encourages their use while indoors.
Judiciary officials previously lifted capacity and physical distancing restrictions in July 2021 but continued to mandate masking inside courthouses regardless of vaccination status.
The order advises people to wear masks if they are not up to date on vaccinations, have a weakened immune system, are at increased risk for severe disease, or live in the same household as someone who is unvaccinated, has a weakened immune system, or at risk for severe disease.
A person is prohibited from entering a Massachusetts courthouse, according to the order, if they have tested positive for COVID in the past five days, are awaiting a test result after experiencing symptoms, have been directed to isolate or quarantine, have COVID symptoms, or are not up to date on vaccinations and have been in close contact with a COVID-positive person in the past five days.
“Persons who have tested positive, experienced symptoms, or had close contact with someone with COVID-19 within the previous 10 days must wear a mask inside courthouses and must not enter courthouses at all if any of the prohibitions set forth … apply to them,” the order says. “Otherwise, mask wearing is not required inside courthouses.”
An SJC spokesperson said the court relied on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance when drafting the order.
The CDC describes a person who is “up to date” on their vaccinations as someone who has received all recommended doses in their primary series COVID-19 vaccine and a booster dose when eligible.
If a person is prohibited from entering a courthouse and has a scheduled appearance or appointment, court officials recommend they reach out to their attorney, call the registry or clerk’s office for where the person is scheduled to appear, or contact the Office of Jury Commissioner.
(Copyright (c) 2025 State House News Service.