Masks Required Indoors In Jefferson County Schools

JEFFERSON COUNTY, CO — A new mask mandate was announced Monday for all schools and childcare centers in Jefferson County.

Jeffco Public Health issued a new order that requires everyone ages 2 and older to wear a mask while indoors at all schools, school-based extracurricular activities and childcare settings in the county.

The new order, which is set to take effect Tuesday, also requires all unvaccinated faculty and staff, as well as all unvaccinated students and adults who are participating in school-based extracurricular activities, to undergo routine testing during the academic year.

Public health officials issued the following summary of requirements for schools and childcare settings:

• Masks for all individuals ages 2+ indoors in all schools, childcares and school-based extracurricular activities
• Implement a COVID-19 testing policy by September 7, 2021, requiring all unvaccinated faculty and staff to be tested weekly throughout the school year
• Implement a COVID-19 testing policy by September 7, 2021, requiring all unvaccinated students and adults participating in school-based extracurricular activities to be tested weekly
• Post signage that masks are required at their facilities (signage provided in the Order)
• Enforcement of quarantine for individuals who are unvaccinated and unmasked when exposed to an individual case, and enforcement of quarantine for all unvaccinated individuals — masked and unmasked — who are exposed in outbreaks
• Enforcement of isolation for anyone who tests positive for COVID-19
• Cooperation in case investigations and contact tracing
• Social distancing of at least six feet when masks are removed as permitted in the Order (e.g., When students are eating and drinking at meal times indoors)

Summary of recommendations:

• Promoting vaccinations to increase coverage among eligible students, faculty and staff
• Require vaccinations for faculty and staff, as well as all adults and eligible students participating in school-based sports and extracurricular activities
• Follow additional recommendations outlined in the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Back to School Roadmap to layer as many additional precautionary measures as feasible to keep students, faculty and staff safe

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“Over the past few weeks, we have seen schools that do not require masking in other parts of the country be required to send large numbers of students home to quarantine and even close schools," said Dr. Dawn Comstock, executive director of Jeffco Public Health. "While our department released very strong guidance to Jeffco schools and childcare settings recommending they require mask-wearing, unfortunately too few schools and childcares have adopted this safe and effective mitigation strategy.

“Due to the highly transmissible Delta variant now driving a surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in our county, coupled with insufficient vaccination coverage in schoolchildren, we must act now to prevent unnecessary illness and help protect in-person learning and educational experiences as much as possible. Despite heroic efforts by Jeffco teachers and schools to offer remote learning, last year far too many students struggled with academic achievement, social development and mental wellness. The goal shared by Jeffco parents, school leaders and public health leaders is to protect in-person learning.”

Between Aug. 2-8, there were 535 new cases (91.8 per 100,000 residents) of COVID-19 in Jefferson County, compared to 110 new cases (18.9 per 100,000 residents) from July 2-8, public health officials reported.

"Most new cases are among people who are unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated, and at this time, 41.2% of those ages 12-15 and 37.4% of those ages 16-19 have not received even one dose of vaccine," Jeffco Public Health said in a news release. "Children under 12 are also vulnerable as they are not yet eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine."

Nearly all new cases in Colorado are the delta variant, which is twice as infectious as previous strains, the agency said. The variant also appears to have a greater impact on children, officials said.

"We learned a great deal firsthand during the 2020-21 school year in Jeffco, and a wealth of scientific studies have proven that universal mask policies are safe and very effective at reducing the spread of COVID-19 in schools,” Comstock said.

“Requiring masking indoors for everyone, combined with implementing a testing policy and promoting vaccination, will help reduce the virus in these high-density indoor settings, prevent outbreaks and minimize disruptive quarantines and isolations. Keeping kids in school is something we all want, and with some simple but important steps, we can preserve this next school year for our Jeffco youth.”

>> Read the full Jeffco Public Health order here.