With the Delta variant of the coronavirus surging through unvaccinated populations, school mask mandates may be back on the fall syllabus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its guidance on masks again in July, recommending that most of the country — even vaccinated people — wear masks indoors. Breakthrough cases are rare, but the CDC said vaccinated people can still spread the virus if infected. Hospitalization rates among breakthrough cases also remain low.
A majority of Colorado’s 64 counties fall under the CDC’s new masking guidance. Currently, neither the state nor any of the relevant counties have implemented a new mask mandate. Instead, they’re urging unvaccinated residents to get their shots.
Vaccination is not yet an option for children younger than 12. It is unclear when the vaccines for that population will be authorized by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the U.S.
Because of that, the CDC recommends that all teachers, staff and students of K-12 schools wear masks, regardless of vaccination status. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment also recommended schools take precautions if local transmission rate is high.
Colorado school districts have not been quick to adopt this guidance. Jefferson County Public Schools, the state’s second largest school district, will require young children to wear masks this fall. Children ages 3 to 11 will have to wear masks, while face coverings are strongly encouraged for unvaccinated and vaccinated students and staff. Aurora Public Schools is also adopting a similar protocol.
Meanwhile, other Colorado schools are holding firm on ending mask mandates, despite federal and state guidance. Eagle County has one of the highest vaccination rates in the state, and school officials told parents they would not require masks for any students or staff. Several Colorado Springs schools also said they’re not moving forward with a new mask mandate.
Many schools are still in deliberation. Alex Marrero, the new superintendent of the state’s largest school district, told Colorado Matters defaulting to public health experts’ guidance is difficult due to community feedback.
“It's just worth a discussion as opposed to just default, because I think that will be a tremendous disrespect for those who have advocated for us not to mask and those of our parents and our students,” Marrero said.
Colorado’s higher education institutions are also facing the possibility of a renewed mask mandate. Many campuses announced plans to drop mask mandates for all students, faculty and staff earlier this summer. However, with most universities located in areas with high transmission, they could be required by their local health departments to reimplement mask requirements.
“At this time, there is no state or county requirement for indoor masking that applies to our campus. We will continue to coordinate with public health officials and if anything changes, we will notify our campus community,” a University of Colorado Boulder spokesperson told CPR News.
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August 02, 2021 at 05:00PM
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Colorado Schools Divided Over Health Experts' Advice To Mask Up Again - Colorado Public Radio
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