MADISON, Wis.— Public Health Madison and Dane County announced Wednesday its face covering order will be extended through March 1, under Face Covering Emergency Order #7. 

The emergency order goes into effect Feb. 1, as soon as the current emergency order expires. 

Anyone older than the age of two in public, enclosed spaces will be required to wear a mask when other people are there. 

“We are certainly still seeing incredibly high rates of illness and hospitalization, however, it does appear that we have reached a plateau in this surge of cases fueled by the Omicron variant,” said Janel Heinrich, director of Public Health Madison and Dane County. “This does not mean it is the time to let our guard down; we must continue to collectively take as many steps as possible to reduce risk of transmission, including masking.”

There are exceptions to the order. For instance, if everyone in the space is fully vaccinated, masks are not required. People who are unconscious, incapacitated or who have medical conditions or other disabilities that prevent them from wearing a face covering do not have to mask up. 

Free testing and free KN95 masks are available around Madison and Dane County. 

For more information on the mask mandate, click here.