Medford Extends School Mask Mandate To Mid-March

MEDFORD, MA — The Medford Public Schools is taking a staggered approach to lifting its mask mandate.

While the statewide mandate is set to expire Feb. 28, students and staff in Medford will be required to wear masks until March 14.

"We believe that this staggered approach will allow us to evaluate the data that comes in the week after vacation through pooled testing and then the following week through the new at-home testing program," Superintendent Marice Edouard-Vincent wrote in a message to families Friday.

After March 14, students and staff can choose to continue to wear masks for the remainder of the school year. Face coverings will continue to be required on school buses and in health offices, and people who experience COVID-19 symptoms but have tested negative should wear a mask until symptoms resolve, Edouard-Vincent said.