Release Date: August 6,2021
City of Akron Reinstitutes Mask Policy for Employees and Visitors in City Buildings
Akron, Ohio, August 6, 2021 — Due to the rapid increase in the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19, the City of Akron is taking proactive steps to ensure the safety of all employees, contractors, and the public to help minimize transmission rates. Today, Mayor Horrigan has announced that the City will be reinstating its mask policy in all City buildings effective Monday, August 9th. All City employees and others entering City buildings will be required to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Summit County’s rate of COVID-19 infection has nearly doubled in less than a week and moved the county to the “substantial” level of spread, according to the latest data from the CDC. The Delta variant is highly contagious and is impacting unvaccinated individuals much more severely than vaccinated individuals, who, although rare, are able to contract and spread the disease. The most recent and updated guidance from the CDC is that everyone, including fully vaccinated individuals, should wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas with high COVID transmission.
"Our public health officials and health systems have made it clear: the best way to combat COVID-19 and its variants is by getting vaccinated, masking, and social distancing," said Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan. “We will continue to heed the advice of those experts when it comes to keeping our City employees and residents safe, just as we’ve been doing throughout our entire response to this pandemic. I strongly encourage anyone who has not received their vaccination yet to do so soon and help halt the spread of the Delta variant.”
This mask mandate is for City buildings only, but residents are strongly encouraged to follow CDC guidance and wear a facial covering in all public indoor settings to help prevent further spread of COVID-19.