At a press conference yesterday afternoon, Governor Hochul announced the end of the mask mandate in schools, effective Wednesday, March 2. She cited declining metrics for making this decision, including a decrease in COVID cases and hospitalizations, as well as new guidance from the CDC on Friday.
As a result, masks are still required in school on Monday and Tuesday as we review and implement new school guidance. Starting Wednesday, masks will be a personal choice in our schools. Although we still recommend the use when applicable, we respect everyone’s right to choose for themselves.
We ask parents and guardians to speak with their child about personal choice and respect for each other’s personal decisions. We understand that this announcement may have a mixed reaction from parents, students and staff. Throughout the pandemic, we have relied on guidelines set forth by the State Department of Health and State Education Department in partnership with the Columbia County Department of Health. Conditions are improving locally and across the state. Test positivity is now at the lowest rate since last fall and there is an increased number of students and staff that have been vaccinated.
Our schools also distribute at-home test kits to families. We encourage families to test their children if they have symptoms of COVID-19. Anyone testing positive should isolate at home and contact their school’s health office.
Thank you for your continued patience and understanding. We will share additional information on the new guidance as soon as it is available.