Cherry Hill Schools Mull Masking Rules As Delta Variant Hits NJ

CHERRY HILL, NJ — Administrators in the Cherry Hill Public School District are still mulling over questions surrounding masks and other reopening plans as the new school year nears.

As the delta variant spurs a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday recommended that people who are vaccinated and in areas at high risk for the coronavirus wear masks indoors.

On Wednesday, Gov. Phil Murphy and State Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli strongly recommended that both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents wear masks in indoor settings when there is increased risk. Read more here: NJ Updates Mask Guidance After CDC Announcement

As of July 17, Camden County was at moderate risk, according to the state's COVID-19 activity report, which is released weekly.

He still has not backed 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.

• See related: NJ Mask Mandates Guided By 'Local Realities,' Gov. Says
• See related: Delta Variant Continues Spread Despite NJ Vaccination Compliance

The New Jersey Department of Health and New Jersey Department of Education said in late June that they will release updated guidance after the CDC releases further masking recommendations.

The Cherry Hill Public School District has not yet received further guidance, Superintendent of Schools Joseph Meloche said during a presentation at Tuesday night’s Board of Education meeting, which was held via Zoom.

When the district posted its safe return to school plan in late June, they said all students and staff would be required to wear face coverings unless doing so poses a risk to the health of the mask wearer. They will be required to wear face coverings at all times, unless they are in a room by themselves.

Other guidelines in which masks can be removed include being outside in extreme heat, exercising, eating or drinking or if they are engaged in high intensity aerobic or anaerobic activity.

Currently, masking is required on school buses at all times. Read more here: Cherry Hill Schools Outline Plan For Safe Reopening

“As we continue to wait for an update from the NJDOH and the NJDOE, we believe it is too early to make a definitive statement about mask wearing inside the school buildings,” Meloche said. “There are two very different perspectives among parents regarding mandatory masking. There are some who think masks should be optional for everyone, and there are some who think masks should be worn by everyone. There’s very little in-between.”

The district is considering three options:

• requiring masks for all students and staff;
• optional masking for students and staff who have received the COVID-19 vaccine; and
• optional masking for all students and staff.

The next presentation on the district’s safe return to school plan comes on Aug. 10, when the Board of Education returns to in-person meetings. Read more here: Cherry Hill School Board To Return To In-Person Meetings Aug. 10

This article contains reporting by Montana Samuels, Patch staff

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