Mask mandates in schools should remain
On this much, at least, there is a consensus — everyone in a position of authority appears to want full, in-person schooling this fall. With the start of a new year only a few weeks away and coronavirus cases again on the rise, this is an important starting point.
That doesn’t mean there won’t be controversy. Thanks to an extension of emergency powers granted by the state legislature, Gov. Ned Lamont has the authority to make a decision on a mask mandate for the start of the coming school year. While COVID-19 vaccinations are widely available for anyone 12 and over, elementary school children are not yet approved for them. That has some public health experts urging a continuation of mask policies enacted last year.
But the pushback will be strong. Others argue that children are not in as much danger from COVID, and therefore shouldn’t have to wear a mask for protection. Masks, they say, are restrictive and interfere with the learning process, besides being unnecessary.
The question becomes even harder at the middle school level, where some students are eligible to be vaccinated and others aren’t.
The best course of action for everyone who’s able is to get a vaccine as soon as possible. They’re free, widely available and effective, with the vast majority of new COVID-19 cases today coming in patients who have not been vaccinated.
Getting vaccinated will protect adults, who are at much higher risk than children. It would also ease fears of unvaccinated children passing the virus to one another and to people back home, which is the source of much of the anxiety regarding children and the virus.
Until enough people are vaccinated, though, the danger will remain. The currently prevalent delta variant will not be the last, and other, even more dangerous or contagious variations could develop in months and years to come. It’s essential to protect as many people as we can.
That’s why a mask mandate for younger children still makes sense. It’s not ideal, and districts should have the right to make their own decisions based on current case counts, but allowing superintendents and school boards to require masks could go a long way toward keeping people safe.
It’s not without drawbacks. Masks can inhibit communication, and people simply get tired of wearing them. But the state made it through a school year already with a mask mandate in place, and we can get through another if necessary.
What’s essential is to keep as many children as possible in school for as long as they can be. Keeping kids at home is hard on their education, and equally difficult on parents who need to work. Not everyone has easily accessible child care for COVID emergencies.
The urge to put the coronavirus crisis in the past is strong. It’s been a long slog, and wearing masks might be the most visible sign that, even as businesses are back open, life is not yet back to normal. But if we want to avoid the worst, we need to err on the side of safety. The governor should maintain the right for schools to mandate masks.
The state made it through a school year already with a mask mandate in place, and we can get through another if necessary.