Masks In AACPS: Health Officials Suggest Face Coverings For All

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Health officials on Wednesday recommended that all Anne Arundel County students and staff wear masks in classrooms this fall. The advice applies to everybody, regardless of their vaccination status.

"A comprehensive masking strategy is a critical piece of a multilayered COVID-19 mitigation strategy," stated Jackie Ferreira, a spokesperson for the Anne Arundel County Department of Health. "Reducing the level of spread in schools will help keep students in school safer, decrease absences, and decrease the need for quarantining students."

The universal face-covering suggestion only applies indoors. Students and staff are free to unmask outdoors in uncrowded areas.

Fall Classes, Next Steps

The updated guidelines are not the final policy of Anne Arundel County Public Schools. The school board has not yet decided whether it will require face coverings. Neighboring Prince George's County announced last month that it will mandate masks at the start of the school year.

Educators are concerned with students who are too young to get the coronavirus vaccine, Capital Gazette reported.

The Pfizer-BioNTech inoculation is cleared for emergency use in residents 12 and older. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson shots are still only available to locals 18 and up.

"Everyone who is eligible is strongly encouraged to get vaccinated, preferably before the beginning of the school year," Ferreira added.

AACPS announced this spring that it would target mostly in-person classes this fall. The school board also noted that it anticipated an end to hybrid instruction. Fully online classes would likely remain an option for some students, the board explained.

Leaders mentioned that these plans were tentative and could change.

The Anne Arundel County Board of Education's next meeting is Aug. 18. Classes are slated to start between Sept. 8 and Sept. 10, depending on the grade level. The full schedule is available at this link.

Delta Variant Surges

The face-covering recommendation follows recent instructions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the delta variant spreads across the country. The CDC on July 27 urged residents, whether inoculated or not, to mask up "in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission."

Anne Arundel County falls in the substantial category, CDC data indicated. Locals can track transmission at this link.

The county's case rate has risen to 9.5 new infections per day per 100,000 people. That's down from its Jan. 12 peak of 64.99, but it's up from its recent low of 0.69 on June 30. This is the largest case rate since May 14.

Anne Arundel's hospitalization total is also up to 25. Though that is less than the April 21, 2020 high of 172, the county had nobody in the hospital as recently as June 24. This is the steepest count since 27 residents were hospitalized on May 28.

The positivity rate is similarly swelling. It has spiked to 3.83 percent, which is up from the all-time low of 0.46 percent registered on June 28. The percent positivity was even greater Monday, reaching 3.95 percent. That was the steepest clip since May 10.

Other Guidance

Most of the recent coronavirus patients have not gotten the immunization. The CDC warned that inoculated residents still carry a slight risk of catching and transmitting the delta variant.

Though the variant has influenced masking advice, distancing recommendations remained the same. Health officials still suggested 3 feet of space between students. Full school guidelines are posted here.

Infections can still happen, even with precautions in place. Health officials preached the importance of masks, vaccines and tests to control these outbreaks.

Schools can get grants for free coronavirus tests by emailing MDH.K12Testing@Maryland.gov. The initiative is sponsored by the COVID-19 Testing Task Force, the Maryland Department of Health and the Maryland State Department of Education.

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RELATED:

• Masks Required In Anne Arundel County-Owned Buildings, Unvaccinated Employees To Undergo Weekly Testing
• AACPS Undecided On Masks For Fall Classes: Reports
• Fully In-Person Classes Could Come This Fall: AACPS

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