Coronavirus

Nearly All of Mass. Should Wear Masks Indoors, Under CDC's Guidance

New England has been at the forefront of the vaccine drive nationwide, and while its transmission rates are high, so is much of the rest of the country, according to the latest CDC data

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One New England state is entirely within the zone where people are advised to wear masks indoors in public settings, while two more, including Massachusetts, are almost there.

Almost every county in southern New England has either high or substantial transmission of COVID-19, according to the CDC. The federal agency's new guidance recommends that people in those counties wear masks in public, indoor settings, even if they're fully vaccinated, given the transmissibility of the delta variant.

Northern New England has less COVID transmission than the south, but transmission rates are up compared to last week.

Live music is back on at Fenway Park after concerts were postponed last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but with cases increasing again, many fans are taking precautions.

New England has been at the forefront of the vaccine drive nationwide, and while its transmission rates are high, so is much of the rest of the country, according to the latest CDC data. And the vaccination rate is important, since the more people are vaccinated, the fewer hospitalizations are expected.

Here is where New England's states stand, based on CDC data showing where COVID transmission is substantial (50-99 cases per 100,000 people) or high transmission (100+ cases per 100,000 people) as of Tuesday afternoon.

Massachusetts

A map showing community transmission rates of COVID-19 in Massachusetts
CDC

Two Massachusetts counties aren't in the substantial or high zones: Franklin and Hampshire.

New Hampshire

A map showing community transmission rates of COVID-19 in New Hampshire
CDC

Three counties are in the substantial COVID transmission zone: Hillsborough, Rockingham and Strafford. The rest have moderate transmission.

Maine

A map showing community transmission rates of COVID-19 in Maine
CDC

Five Maine counties are in the substantial COVID transmission zone: York, Lincoln, Waldo, Penobscot and Somerset.

Rhode Island

A map showing community transmission rates of COVID-19 in Rhode Island
CDC

All but one of Rhode Island's five counties -- Newport (not visible on the CDC map above) -- have enough COVID transmission for mask use to be federally recommended.

Vermont

A map showing community transmission rates of COVID-19 in Vermont
CDC

Five of Vermont's counties have enough COVID transmission for mask use to be federally recommended: Bennington, Chittenden, Grand Isle, Franklin and Orleans.

Connecticut

A map showing community transmission rates of COVID-19 in Connecticut
CDC

All of Connecticut's counties have enough COVID transmission for mask use to be federally recommended.

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