Data Will Guide Barnegat’s Mask Policies As Delta Variant Hits NJ

BARNEGAT, NJ — As federal guidance changes on indoor mask-wearing, Barnegat school officials said local data will continue to guide whether the district mandates face masks this fall.

“The safety of our students and staff, as well as the community as a whole, is paramount to operating a safe, relevant, and rigorous educational environment,” Superintendent Brian Latwis told Patch.

Earlier this month when Gov. Phil Murphy relaxed indoor mask guidelines, Latwis said face masks would be optional for students this fall and that the district would not mandate them if the town’s coronavirus rates continue to remain in the low risk category.

At this time, masks will still be optional for students in Barnegat schools.

Latwis said the district is continuing to monitor community transmission within Barnegat and COVID-19 data in individual school facilities to determine whether safety measures like masks, dividers, temperature checks or a daily COVID-19 form should be implemented come September.

As of Wednesday, masking guidance amid the COVID-19 pandemic has changed at the federal level.

The Centers for Disease Control said vaccinated Americans should return to wearing a mask indoors in public places, particularly in areas with "substantial and high transmission" of coronavirus. The CDC change comes as infection rates have risen significantly across the country, fueled by the delta variant of the virus that causes COVID-19.

On Wednesday, Murphy and state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli urged all residents to return to mask-wearing indoors, in response to the increasing transmission.

Murphy has reiterated that the decision to mandate masks in schools should reflect "local realities,” giving each district the authority to determine whether to require masks.

Speaking during a news conference Monday, Murphy said he's not backing down on his stance that schools need to return to a fully in-person, five-day a week format in the fall. And while the state is not mandating the use of masks among unvaccinated students, school districts can choose to go beyond what the state is recommending, he said. Read more: NJ Mask Mandates Guided By 'Local Realities,' Gov. Says

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