First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker announced that the mask mandate in Westport Connecticut, is being reinstated on Thursday Dec. 23, as coronavirus cases continue to rise in the town.

Currently, according to Westport News, 2470 Westport residents have tested positive for Covid-19, with there being 11,907 positive cases in Fairfield County.

“Of the new cases reported in Westport, 37% are in fully vaccinated individuals,” Westport-Weston Health Director Mark Cooper said. “The fully vaccinated who have received the booster inoculation make up about 2.6% of the new cases.” 

In order to keep up with this increase in both vaccinated and unvaccinated cases, more Covid-19 testing facilities will be opened, which will help track how many people test positive for Covid-19 in Westport.

“Even if you are not experiencing any symptoms, COVID-19 testing is encouraged to determine if you have the virus and thus, take necessary precautions to avoid the spread to loved ones, family, friends and those who are vulnerable,” Tooker said.

Although wearing masks is often regarded as frustrating, some Staples students are relieved to see the mandate reinstated. 

“I’m not surprised by the new mandate, and I’m happy that the governor is taking proactive steps to help combat this new variant,” Christiane Betfarhad ’22 said. “However, I hope that more people follow the mandate so it has more purpose when protecting ourselves from the omicron variant.”