Maryland elementary school requires masks for select students.
An elementary school in Maryland is taking proactive measures to ensure the safety of its students.
In a letter sent to parents on September 5th, school administrators at Rosemary Hills Elementary School in Silver Spring informed them that three or more people had tested positive for COVID-19 within the previous 10 days.
Principal Rebecca Irwin Kennedy made the decision to implement a mask mandate for students in the affected classes.
“Additional KN95 masks have been distributed and students and staff in identified classes or activities will be required to mask while in school for the next 10 days, except while eating or drinking,” Ms. Kennedy said in the letter.
The school’s priority is to maintain a safe environment for in-person teaching and learning and to prevent further transmission of the virus.
While the school did not provide specific studies or data to support their decision, concerns have been raised about the effectiveness of masks in preventing the spread of respiratory viruses.
According to a Cochrane Review, randomized controlled trials have not provided evidence supporting masking.
“I think it’s fair to say that if you want to wear a mask then you should have a choice, okay. But in the absence of evidence, you shouldn’t be forcing anybody to do so,” said Tom Jefferson, one of the authors of the review.
Despite the controversy, the school’s decision aligns with the Montgomery County school district policy, which states that masks are optional with exceptions.
The district mandates masks for individuals recovering from a COVID-19 infection and in outbreak situations, following recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Dr. Patricia Kapunan, the district’s health officer, emphasized the importance of maintaining access to in-person learning.
The CDC also recommends wearing masks in certain situations, including when individuals have been exposed to a positive case or in jurisdictions with medium or high COVID-19 hospital admission rankings.
However, the CDC’s recommendations differ from those of other health entities, such as the World Health Organization, which advises against masking children under 6.
It’s worth noting that the CDC has not updated its masking guidance since 2022.
While some institutions have recently imposed mask mandates, the decision to require masks in schools remains a topic of debate.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, a prominent figure in the fight against COVID-19, hopes that people will follow the CDC’s recommendations and consider the risks to themselves and their families.
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