The Westport Select Board on Monday evening rescinded its mandate that all visitors to municipal buildings in town wear masks indoors, as the town emerges from the peak of the COVID-19 Omicron surge over the past several months. They also voted to lift the requirement that all town meetings be conducted remotely, though individual boards can still choose to go remote, via Internet, if members wish.

The decision follows in the wake of a Board of Health decision last week to rescind its separate mandate that all residents in public places such as shops and other businesses wear masks while indoors. Though several business owners said in recent weeks that that mandate was onerous and was hurting business owners, the board's Tanja Ryden told the select board that its mandate, in place for about three or four weeks, was largely followed with "good cooperation."

While the board of health mandate was lifted last week, the Department of Health still recommends that all residents, regardless of their vaccination status, still wear masks in indoor public spaces.

"We enrourage people who are at higher risk — those who are unvaccinated, older, are immunocompromised or have underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk — that they continue to wear a mask, especially in crowded indoor places. It becomes a risk assessment choice at the individual level," Ryden said.

The select board's withdrawal of the indoor requirement on town property does not extend to Westport Community Schools, which operate under state health department guidelines. However, that state mandate ends on Monday, Feb. 28 and the committee was expected to meet Tuesday evening to discuss how the district will react.

As for easing restrictions at town offices, Westport Town Administrator James Hartnett said he believes it will be well-received at town hall.

"We haven't seen a lot of traffic here," he said. "I think for the most part people will be in favor."