Mask rule for schools set through September
Lamont confirms; ‘I want to make sure everyone can be in the classroom safely’
By Alex Putterman Hartford Courant
An executive order requiring K-12 students in Connecticut to wear masks in schools will remain in place for the first month of the coming school year, Gov. Ned Lamont said Tuesday afternoon.
Speaking to reporters at Veterans Memorial Stadium in New Britain for a press conference to promote COVID-19 vaccinations for high school athletes, Lamont said all students must wear masks through Sept. 30.
“I know that masks can be a pain to some people,” Lamont said. “But given where we are, given what the spread is right now, given the success the masks had last year ... I want to make sure everyone can be in the classroom safely.”
Members of the Lamont administration had previously said the requirement that students wear masks in schools was likely to continue into September but had left open the possibility that the policy would change.
Masking in schools has become a divisive issue in recent months, with some parents advocating for face coverings and others arguing against them. One group, “Unmask Our Kids CT” has more than 11,000 members on Facebook.
Lamont’s decision comes as Connecticut experiences a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations due to the delta variant. All eight of the state’s counties currently have enough coronavirus spread that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends masking in indoor public places.
The CDC announced in late July that it would advise schools to require masks for all students regardless of vaccination status. Lamont said at the time he would likely follow the agency’s recommendations but did not officially commit to doing so.
Before Tuesday, Lamont had promised to decide soon whether to maintain an existing executive order that requires masks in schools or whether to change that policy in time for the school year. The order, along with Lamont’s other pandemic-related measures, will expire Sept. 30 when the governor’s emergency powers lapse, at which point the state legislature will need to decide whether to take further action.
Charlene Russell-Tucker, Connecticut’s interim education commissioner, said in early August that school districts had already received information about physical distancing, cohorting, ventilation systems and other pandemic-related safety measures.
Alex Putterman can be reached at aputterman @courant.com.
Lamont confirms; ‘I want to make sure everyone can be in the classroom safely’
By Alex Putterman Hartford Courant
An executive order requiring K-12 students in Connecticut to wear masks in schools will remain in place for the first month of the coming school year, Gov. Ned Lamont said Tuesday afternoon.
Speaking to reporters at Veterans Memorial Stadium in New Britain for a press conference to promote COVID-19 vaccinations for high school athletes, Lamont said all students must wear masks through Sept. 30.
“I know that masks can be a pain to some people,” Lamont said. “But given where we are, given what the spread is right now, given the success the masks had last year ... I want to make sure everyone can be in the classroom safely.”
Members of the Lamont administration had previously said the requirement that students wear masks in schools was likely to continue into September but had left open the possibility that the policy would change.
Masking in schools has become a divisive issue in recent months, with some parents advocating for face coverings and others arguing against them. One group, “Unmask Our Kids CT” has more than 11,000 members on Facebook.
Lamont’s decision comes as Connecticut experiences a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations due to the delta variant. All eight of the state’s counties currently have enough coronavirus spread that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends masking in indoor public places.
The CDC announced in late July that it would advise schools to require masks for all students regardless of vaccination status. Lamont said at the time he would likely follow the agency’s recommendations but did not officially commit to doing so.
Before Tuesday, Lamont had promised to decide soon whether to maintain an existing executive order that requires masks in schools or whether to change that policy in time for the school year. The order, along with Lamont’s other pandemic-related measures, will expire Sept. 30 when the governor’s emergency powers lapse, at which point the state legislature will need to decide whether to take further action.
Charlene Russell-Tucker, Connecticut’s interim education commissioner, said in early August that school districts had already received information about physical distancing, cohorting, ventilation systems and other pandemic-related safety measures.
Alex Putterman can be reached at aputterman @courant.com.
