The State of Emergency in Massachusetts ended at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, June 15, 2021.
This emergency was declared on March 10, 2020 in response to the Coronavirus pandemic and remained in effect for 462 days. The restrictions resulting from the State of Emergency changed the lives of everyone in Massachusetts and in Wellesley for more than a year.
Due to the high rate of COVID-19 vaccinations in Massachusetts and the continued low rate of new infections, all COVID-19 restrictions in Massachusetts were lifted on May 29.
While the public health threat of COVID-19 is not entirely gone, it is much less severe. In the past two weeks, Wellesley has reported less than five new COVID-19 cases.
The end of the State of Emergency also ends all temporary policy changes that resulted from this declaration including remote public meetings, eviction protection, and even to-go cocktails in some communities.
Currently the Massachusetts Legislature is considering a bill to extend some of these measures, but no decisions have been made yet.
Residents who plan to attend public meetings this week should check meeting agendas to determine if boards and committees are meeting remotely or in-person.