With more than 375 in COVID quarantine, Harris County schools changes its mask policy
The Harris County School District will require all students to wear masks beginning Monday after announcing 389 students are in quarantine after they were potentially exposed to COVID-19.
The updated policy was made to keep as many students in school as possible as COVID-19 cases increase, according to a news release from the school district. With the mask mandate, students who stay at least three feet from others and are symptom-free will not have to quarantine.
Previously, the school district required all faculty, staff and visitors to wear masks, but the face coverings were optional for students.
“While there are lots of opinions on this matter, this step is a necessary precaution to keep students safe and in school,” Harris County School District Superintendent Roger Couch said in the news release. “This protocol will greatly reduce the number of quarantined students and help keep our schools open.”
Couch said officials will continue monitoring community spread and make changes as cases decrease.
According to data released by Rachel Crumbley, spokesperson for Harris County Schools, 28 students were positive for COVID-19 between Aug. 3 and Aug. 9, and another 166 students had been in close contact with someone who was positive.
Additionally, eight employees were positive for COVID-19 during the same time period, and two had been exposed.
Every county in Georgia has a high level of community transmission, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID Data tracker. Harris County has reported 152 new COVID-19 cases in the last two weeks, with 30 new cases reported on Aug. 13, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.
The county’s reported a two-week COVID-19 case rate of 438 cases per 100,000 people. This has increased every day since Aug. 6, when it was 294 cases per 100,000 people.
The school district’s revised safety protocols are posted at www.harris.k12.ga.us.
This story was originally published August 13, 2021 at 4:35 PM.
