Schools
Boston Schools Will Keep Masks On As State Of Emergency Drops
A public health decision made Wednesday is keeping students at Boston Public Schools masked for the time being, but this may soon change.
BOSTON — Boston Public School's mask mandate will remain in place even as the city's Board of Health unanimously voted Wednesday to lift the COVID-19 public health emergency next month.
The final decision on a masking policy is determined by Boston Public Schools, and on Wednesday, the school board decided to keep them on - for now.
"Boston Public Schools can review its masking policy when the number of positive COVID-19 tests per day in Boston falls below 10 cases per 100,000 residents," Dr. Sarimer Sánchez from the Boston Public Health Commission's Infectious Disease Bureau advised.
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The current number of daily COVID-19 cases in Boston is about 13 per 100,000, officials say.
"The Boston Public Health Commission has also been collaborating with BPS in strategic efforts to enhance vaccination uptake among students, especially in our high-need neighborhoods," Sánchez added.
Find out what's happening in Bostonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Thursday marks the two-year anniversary of the initial public health emergency declaration for COVID-19 in Boston, and Boston's COVID-19 public health emergency is set to end on April 1.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Boston Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Brenda Cassellius have said masks are an important health and safety measure.
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