Thursday evening the federal CDC updated their Covid statistics and now list Hancock County as having a risk level of “High.” Since the CDC adopted these new metrics and categories last spring we have had the following policy:

• If Hancock Co. is listed as having a risk level of Low or Medium, indoor masking is optional.

• If Hancock Co. is listed as having a risk level of High, indoor masking is required for all.

We will continue to follow this policy. This means that for this week at least, masking is required while indoors at The Neighborhood House. We will stay abreast of the weekly data and will update the requirements accordingly. The federal CDC metrics and risk designations can be found on their website here.

The last thing we wanted to do after several months in which masks were essentially a moot point for most was to have to return to requiring them. However, we feel we crafted a simple and sensible policy, and will therefore continue to follow it even if it’s not the most convenient thing to do. We completely understand how frustrating this can be— none of us wanted to be back to masks. Hopefully this change to “High” will just be a blip on the radar rather than a longer trend. Thank you for your cooperation in advance!

Note for Gym Members: Yes, unfortunately this shift means masks are now required even while working out. We understand that’s not ideal for many of you, so we are happy to “pause” your membership until the CDC changes their categorization of Hancock Co. back to Low or Medium risk. Just give us a call (276-5039) if you’d like to do so.

Note Regarding The Community Cafe: We were SO excited to be starting another Cafe Season on Oct. 20 and being able to offer the option to sit and enjoy lunch (in addition to takeaway service). The good news is the Cafe will go forward on Oct. 20! The deflating news is while we’re still thrilled to be offering takeout service, we’ll have to hold off on the sit-down option until Hancock Co. gets back to a “Medium” or “Low” risk level. Our fingers are crossed that happens sooner rather than later, but for the time being we hope you can stop by to grab lunch on Oct. 20!