Effective today, the District of Delaware lifted its mask mandate for public areas:
NOW THEREFORE, it is HEREBY ORDERED that:
1. Effective immediately, masking in public areas of the Court (lobby, corridors, elevators, restrooms, etc.) is no longer required. People may choose to wear a face mask at their discretion. Prior standing orders of the Court that imposed mask requirements are VACATED to the extent, and only to the extent, such orders imposed mask requirements.
2. Judges retain the discretion to impose mask requirements in their courtrooms as they see fit.
Delaware state courts are likewise ending their mask mandate, starting on Wednesday of this week.
In a message to the bar, Delaware Supreme Court Chief Justice Collins J. Seitz, Jr. announced that updated CDC guidance drove the move, along with the low-to-medium transmission rate in Delaware:
I'm sure many of you read that on Friday the CDC changed its guidance on indoor mask wearing. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html New Castle County is rated low risk, Kent and Sussex County are rated medium risk. Under the new guidelines, low and medium risk counties are no longer recommended for indoor mask wearing. Testing is still recommended for symptomatic cases. After conferring with our infectious disease medical expert, Dr. Bacon, who has served us so well throughout the pandemic, he agrees with the CDC's new guidance and thinks it is reasonable at this time to drop the indoor mask requirement and unvaccinated employee testing requirements AS OF WEDNESDAY at 8:00 AM for all judicial branch facilities.
Starting Wednesday morning, mandatory mask wearing in all judicial branch facilities comes to an end.
I think its safe to say that all members of the bar are thankful for the enormous effort the Courts have put into managing all of our safety throughout the pandemic!
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