BOSTON (WHDH) - As COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the Bay State, the Archdiocese of Boston on Friday announced a new mask mandate that will go into effect next week.
Starting on Dec. 18, 2021, all churchgoers throughout the archdiocese will be required to wear a mask during all public masses, including weddings and funerals, according to Cardinal Sean O’Malley.
“As we watch the numbers trend in the wrong direction and see those numbers change in a dramatic fashion over the last week or two, it seemed the responsible thing to do,” said MC Sullivan, chief healthcare ethicist of the Archdiocese of Boston.
Mass celebrants, deacons, readers, choir members, and instrumentalists will also be required to wear a mask except for when they are speaking, O’Malley said.
The mask mandate will expire on January 17, 2022.
Children under the age of five are not required to wear masks during mass, according to the Archdiocese of Boston.
All churches throughout the archdiocese will be required to provide a designated area in which social distancing is maintained.
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