Mask Mandate Extended For Public Schools Through February

MASSACHUSETTS — A mask mandate for K-12 public schools in Massachusetts will be extended through February, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley said Monday.

Originally set to expire on Jan. 15, the public school mask requirement will remain in play until at least Feb. 28, 2022.

This decision was made as COVID-19 case numbers continue to increase in Massachusetts, due to the highly contagious Omicron variant.

"The mask requirement remains an important measure to keep students, teachers, and staff in school safely at this time," the DESE said in a statement. "The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, in consultation with medical experts and state health officials, will continue to evaluate public health data."

The DESE said schools can still choose to remove the mask mandate if more than 80% of students and staff are vaccinated, but the decision will need to be made with local health officials as well.

In October, Hopkinton High School became the first school to lift the mask mandate, but quickly had to reinstate it around the Thanksgiving holiday when cases first began to skyrocket.

Under the mandate, all staff and students aged 5 and older are required to mask up except when eating or drinking, or during "mask breaks." Students who are unable to put on a mask due to behavioral reasons are exempt.