MADISON, Wis. — Public health officials in Dane County are once again extending their face covering mandate as we approach the holiday season.
Public Health Madison & Dane County announced Monday that the order will now be extended until November 27th. The previous mandate was scheduled to expire later this week on November 5. Instead, the new order will take effect on that date.
However, PHMDC says the order will expire after 22 days, with no plans to institute another one at this time.
“This decision comes as a result of decreasing case rates, increasing vaccination rates and the expansion of eligibility for booster doses which will only help strengthen our collective immunity,” PHMDC director Janel Heinrich said in a release. “It is no coincidence that transmission is dropping; it reflects the result of intentional, effective public health interventions and another incredible effort by the people of Dane County.”
Officials say the expected approval for vaccines for kids between the ages of 5 and 11 also played a role in their decision to allow the order to expire later this month.
“Our main goal with masking guidelines continues to be protecting those most vulnerable to the virus, including unvaccinated children,” Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said. “We know wearing masks helps keep kids from getting sick in school settings and keeps kids in school. As soon as the Wisconsin Department of Health Services authorizes us to do so, we have the capacity to vaccinate many people quickly and are prepared to get our kids vaccinated as soon as possible.”
Dane County’s mask mandate remains the only county-wide indoor face covering mandate in the state.
The latest data from Public Health Madison & Dane County shows 74.6% of people in Dane County have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
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