Mask policy change planned for Muscogee County School District. Here are the details
Wearing a mask won’t be mandatory in Muscogee County School District buildings after the Christmas break if health conditions in Columbus continue to support this policy change, MCSD superintendent David Lewis announced.
MCSD “will tentatively transition to mask-optional, but strongly recommended” wearing masks, starting Jan. 18, Lewis said in the message addressed to MCSD families.
Lewis explained why the mask-optional policy won’t coincide with the beginning of the semester Jan. 6.
“This would allow time after the winter break to determine if there would be an ensuing surge of infections, as well as provide additional time for those families who wish to have children vaccinated,” Lewis wrote. “This is yet another step toward establishing normalcy in our schools. A follow-up communication will be sent out by Friday, January 14 with an update on whether or not we can move to mask-optional.”
Lewis said he made the decision in consultation with MCSD’s medical panel of local health experts.
After more than doubling the previous week, the number of positive COVID-19 tests among students and employees reported to the Muscogee County School District declined by one. From Dec. 13-17, MCSD received reports of 27 coronavirus cases (17 students, 10 employees), compared to 28 (23 students, five employees) from Dec. 6-10, according to the district’s news release.
The peak week for coronavirus cases in MCSD this school year was Aug. 23-27, when 201 cases (174 students, 27 employees) were reported. The lowest level was Nov. 8-10, when nine cases (four students, five employees) were reported.
The weekly number of people in MCSD required to isolate or quarantine more than doubled during the past week. From Dec. 13-17, MCSD had 118 people (107 students, 11 employees) in isolation or quarantine, compared to 56 (51 students, five employees) from Dec. 6-10, according to the district’s data.
MCSD has 30,709 students and 5,175 employees, including 3,634 employees based in a school.
This story was originally published December 22, 2021 at 10:10 AM.
