Fairfield to hold public hearing on masks at rec center

FAIRFIELD - Whether to require masks at the Roosevelt Community Center in Fairfield was the subject of debate at Monday night's Fairfield City Council meeting.

The council chambers' seating area, normally sparsely occupied in the past year due to COVID, was packed with people who showed up for the discussion. Fairfield Parks and Recreation Director Calvin Todd reported that the Park and Rec Advisory Board recommended keeping its mandatory mask policy until half of the county's population 60 years and older had received a COVID-19 vaccine.

'We'd like to see that 60 and older age group get vaccinated before lifting this policy,” Todd said. 'I know some people are for it [mask mandate] and some against it. For the most part, everyone who comes to the rec center are very respectful.”

At the end of the discussion, the council decided to hold a public hearing on the rec center's mask mandate at 7 p.m. March 22 during the council's next meeting.

Todd said he wants to stress that the mask mandate is not permanent and is just intended to last a bit longer until more people from the vulnerable age group are vaccinated.

'We're trying to look out for all ages of the community,” he said.

Terry Cochrane, a member of the advisory board for the past 30 years, said that building the new outdoor pool and Cambridge Sportsplex at the rec center was made possible in part through private donations, 'many of which came from our older adults.”

'This city and the board made a promise to the older adults that we would make this facility available to everyone in all age groups in a safe manner,” he said. 'And today, we have kept that promise.”

Cochrane said about 20 percent to 30 percent of the 65 and older population has been vaccinated, which he said was not a high enough percentage to protect the unvaccinated.