At a Glance:
- The U.S. has 243 of the 500 largest district schools that are mask-optional.
- S. States reporting a decline in COVID-19 cases.
- New York City to follow the no-mask rule at the schools, if the circumstances permit.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has made mask-optional rules for schools in the U.S. Several school districts made masks optional but with the surging concerns of a pandemic, the rules were rolled back. The 243 of the 500 largest districts schools are mask-optional as of last week of Feb 2022. 240 district schools mandate masks while 17 schools only require masks for a certain age of students.
It was recently announced by CDC that the mask requirements are uplifted for schools in communities with low to medium risk of COVID-19 spread and severity at the community level.
U.S. community level for COVID
COVID widespread has been contained in a few areas of the U.S. around 70% of the population live in counties where the community level is low to medium. There are 37% of counties in the U.S. that fall under a high COVID-19, while representing 28% of the U.S. population, with large levels in Arizona, California, North Carolina, Montana, West Virginia, Oregon, and Tennessee.
The CDC Director, Rochelle Walensky said, “At the high level, CDC recommends that everyone wear a mask indoors in public, including in schools.”
This new guidance has pushed us into a new phase of recovery. Given the circumstance, the lifting mask mandates might be adopted by other districts in the coming days or weeks.
NYC ground zero for COVID
Even in New York, the COVID-19 cases are gradually decreasing. The New York City Mayor, Eric Adams has confirmed that COVID-19 cases keep decreasing there will be no mandatory requirements of the mask at schools.
Eric also commented on the health initiatives, stating, “Our schools have been among the safest places for our children since the beginning of the pandemic, and we will continue to make the proper public health decisions to keep our kids safe, including making masks available for any child or school staff member who wishes to continue wearing them.”
