St. Louis Reimposes Indoor Mask Rule As Cases Surge

From the St. Louis County Department of Health:

As COVID-19 hospitalizations rise and the Delta variant spreads, the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County will require masks to be worn in indoor public places and on public transportation beginning Monday.

The new rule will require everyone age five and over, including those who are vaccinated, to wear a mask. Wearing masks outdoors, especially in group settings, will be strongly encouraged.

Dr. Faisal Khan, acting director of the St. Louis County Department of Public Health, emphasized the importance of vaccinations and masks. “Vaccinations are the best way to stop the fast-spreading Delta variant of COVID-19, but so far, not enough people have been vaccinated,” Dr. Khan said.

“We are relentlessly committed to making vaccinations more accessible and convenient. In the meantime, we need everyone, vaccinated or not, to wear masks in crowded indoor settings. We must protect our most vulnerable residents as well as children under 12, who are not yet eligible for vaccinations.”

St. Louis, St. Louis County to reinstate mask mandate https://t.co/YvQOBz3hII

— St. Louis Post-Dispatch (@stltoday) July 23, 2021

Mask mandates return Monday in St. Louis city and county. Masking will be required indoors and on public transit for all people 5 and older, including those who have already received a COVID-19 vaccination. https://t.co/blWORxwSZv pic.twitter.com/4d1EPgeIOP

— St. Louis Public Radio (@stlpublicradio) July 23, 2021