BOSTON — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s updated mask guidance now applies to nine Massachusetts counties, according to data released Monday.
That is up from five counties last week.
The guidance issued last week recommends that everyone in a place with a “substantial” or “high” coronavirus transmission rate wear a face covering in indoor public places regardless of vaccination status.
According to CDC data collected during the week that ended Saturday, Barnstable and Nantucket counties are in the “high” transmission rate category.
Bristol, Essex, Hampden, Middlesex, Plymouth, Suffolk and Worcester counties are in the “substantial” zone.
Provincetown, which had a cluster of about 900 confirmed cases stemming from July Fourth celebrations, is in Barnstable County.
Of those cases, only seven hospitalizations and no deaths have been reported.
In other state coronavirus news, Northeastern University announced Sunday that faculty and staff will be required to be vaccinated against the coronavirus in time for the fall semester.
The mandate applies to U.S.-based faculty and requests for vaccine exemptions for medical reasons or “a sincerely held religious belief” will be considered.
Northeastern announced in April that students would need to be vaccinated.
for the fall semester, one of the first major colleges in the nation to do so.