Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz has announced that indoor masking is now required in all public areas in Erie County, in light of rapidly rising Covid-19 positive test rates and hospitalizations.
The indoor masking requirement is considered Phase 1 of a four-phase restrictions and shutdown plan if Covid cases and hospitalizations continue to rise.
The four phases include:
Phase 1 (just announced): Masks required for staff and the public in all indoor public areas, including stores, theaters, restaurants, salons, gyms, hotels and entertainment venues. This applies to those ages 2 and older who are able to "medically tolerate" a mask.
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This current phase will be re-evaluated on Dec. 13 to determine whether the county must move to the next phase.
Phase 2: Vaccination required for all indoor dining, bars and entertainment venues. This requirement already exists at Highmark Stadium and KeyBank Center arena.
Phase 3: Capacity restrictions will again be put into place in all public locations, similar to what existed last year and early this year under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's statewide mandates.Â
Phase 4: Shutdown measures would return. Poloncarz said hospitalizations and new cases would have to be severe to take this step.
Poloncarz said there is not one single factor or benchmark that will determine the need to move from one phase to the next, but that hospitalizations and positive case rates will be taken into account.
