MARION — The town will require masks to be worn inside municipal buildings beginning Aug. 23.

Marion is the first town in the Tri-Town to reinstate a mask mandate, after the Rochester Board of Health walked back its mandate approved at an Aug. 18 meeting in favor of holding a public hearing next week.

Marion cited a rise in covid cases due to the delta variant, though state data show a decrease in cases in town over the past two weeks. Still, the town has seen an overall increase in cases in recent weeks.

Masks will be required inside town buildings when social distancing cannot be maintained.

The mandate will be reassessed when covid cases subside.