Boston — Several Boston museums and other attractions are bringing back indoor mask requirements in line with updated guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention in response to a surge in cases caused by the covid-19 delta variant.
The Museum of Fine Arts, the Institute of Contemporary Art, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the New England Aquarium are among the institutions that this week announced that starting Saturday they will require all visitors age 5 and older, regardless of vaccination status, to wear face coverings indoors.
“In this time of increasing health risks, our commitment to one another is paramount, and we hope our visitors respect the members of our staff now in the position of enforcement,” the Museum of Fine Arts posted on social media.
The aquarium also requested understanding.
“Please be respectful to our staff if they ask you to comply with this policy. Through this policy, we are working to reduce transmission and keep each other safe. Visitors in violation of the mask policy will be asked to leave,” the aquarium said in a statement posted on its website.
Suffolk County, which includes Boston, has a “substantial” COVID-19 transmission rate, according to the CDC.
Many institutions relaxed masking policies in May.