Should kids still be wearing masks in schools? It is a question Governor Ned Lamont and the Connecticut State Board of Education are discussing.
Governor Lamont’s executive order for a mask mandate ends on February 15 and he has asked the legislature to codify it moving forward.
When asked if the governor thought it was time to drop the statewide mandate and allow each individual school district to make the decision he said “I think that’s a real possibility. You just pointed out the infection rate went up a little bit today. We know that there's another variant that's out there, but I also think we now know how to manage through these, you know, little mini surges. I think we now know that we can keep ourselves safe. So, we're a very different place than we were a year ago.”
The union representing more than 60,000 school employees in Connecticut (AFT Connecticut) urged the mask mandate to continue, regardless of vaccination status.
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The Connecticut Education Association President wrote, "Let's not forget we still have large numbers of unvaccinated students in our classrooms and COVID sub-variants are proving more transmissible. We must continue to do all we can to keep students and staff safe and schools open."
But one Avon mother NBC Connecticut spoke with, who has children in 8th and 10th grades, said she is ready for the mask mandate in schools to end.
“We’re vaccinated, we’re boosted. We’re going to have to live with this forever in some way shape or form. So let’s move on, let’s be happy that we can move on and do our due diligence and be wise. If things flare up again, then we go back to it, but we’re ready, we’re ready to move on,” said Vonda Evans, of Avon.
