Third school district in Columbus area changes mask policy from mandatory to optional
A third school district in the Columbus area is making masks optional for students, employees and guests in its buildings.
Citing a decreasing number of COVID-19 cases, the Harris County School District has changed its mask policy from mandatory to optional, effective Monday.
HCSD joins Troup County and Lee County in making such a change this month. St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School is phasing in an optional mask policy, and on Oct. 18 Brookstone School made masks optional as well.
Masks remain required on buses, per the Jan. 29 federal order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
HCSD will return to mandatory masks in buildings if the number of reported cases among its students and employees in the district rises about three-quarters of 1%, according to the news release. That threshold amounts to 45 weekly cases.
In its most recent report, HCSD had 26 coronavirus cases (22 students, four employees) from Oct. 12-18, compared to 45 (39 students, six employees) the previous week.
The highest number of weekly cases HCSD reported this school year was 71 (60 students, 11 employees) Aug. 24-30. The lowest was 24 (19 students, five employees) Sept. 14-20.
