West Hartford to maintain school mask mandate
Hartford County has reached CDC’s highest transmission level
West Hartford students will wear masks when the school year starts to guard against transmission of COVID-19, while state leaders mull a statewide decision on protective measures in all schools.
“Masks will remain mandatory inside pre-K-12 schools and on buses for all students and staff,” recently announced West Hartford school district guidelines say. “Schools will continue to have masks available for any student or staff member who does not have one, and schools will continue to teach proper mask behaviors. Families are asked to wear masks during drop-off and pickup.”
Hartford County has reached the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s highest level of community transmission of the virus. As of Friday, both New Haven and Hartford counties exceeded 100 cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days, pushing them into the “high transmission” zone. Connecticut’s six other counties are in the “substantial transmission” category.
The West Hartford guidelines, however, say, “It is important to remember that things not only might change, they will. We will continue to be flexible in our approach in compliance with state guidance and best practices.”
Gov. Ned Lamont said Monday that a statewide decision on COVID-19 mask policies in schools will be announced “very
soon” to allow staff and families several weeks of planning before students begin to return at the end of August.
But if officials do not announce a policy update, a current executive order requiring masks in school buildings statewide will remain in effect until the end of the September.
“Schools, we’ve got to make up our mind what the right rules are there. I’ve put it off ... in part because we didn’t know anything about [the] delta [variant] three weeks ago,” Lamont said. “So obviously things change pretty quickly . ... But I do know that people have a right to be able to plan. I’ve always given at least a couple weeks notice.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced last week that children and staff should wear masks in school settings, regardless of vaccination status — reversing guidelines released just a few weeks earlier. Lamont and interim education Commissioner Charlene RussellTucker acknowledged the CDC’s decision, but maintained that state officials are still in conversations about an appropriate approach, despite ongoing pressure from school districts and parents to make a decision.
“We still have the order in place through Sept. 30 for wearing masks in school buildings. That’s still there, until there’s a change to that,” Russell-Tucker said, adding that districts have received information around other aspects of planning, like physical distancing, cohorting and ventilation systems.
Lamont also shared concerns about parental hesitation in sending kids back to school, especially since children under age 12 remain ineligible for coronavirus vaccinations. Earlier in the summer, the state education department said districts were not required to offer remote learning during the 20212022 school year.
“A lot of parents are nervous ... but I want you know we had our schools open last September, overwhelmingly [students] got back to school safely,” he said.
When asked about school mask requirements, Dr. Ulysses Wu, system director for infectious diseases at Hartford HealthCare said: “I know it’s a touchy subject — somehow it’s become political; somehow it’s also become a social flashpoint — but the reality is that masking for children in schools probably makes sense if they’re not vaccinated.
“Let’s take a step back and let’s look at what our lines of defense are. Our first line of defense is vaccinations. That is still our pathway out. When vaccinations either stop happening or we think that cases are going to be rising, the next two steps are social distancing and masking. Social distancing is going to be difficult, especially in schools, and so masking I think is going to be the way out of this.”
The West Hartford guidelines also require at least 3 feet between students in classrooms “when feasible with available space.”
The guidelines say vaccinated students and staff no longer need to quarantine (if asymptomatic) after close contact with a known COVID-19 case. Students seated 3 feet or more from another student diagnosed with COVID-19 do not need to quarantine, as long as they remain asymptomatic and masks are in place.
Also in the guidelines:
■ Schools will continue to teach and implement routines for hand-washing at specified points during the school day inclusive of before and after lunch periods and after outdoor activities. All classrooms and school offices will be outfitted with hand sanitizing stations.
■ Contaminated surfaces are not a significant risk of transmission of COVID-19, and routine daily cleaning is all that is needed in school buildings. School ventilation will continue to be run at maximum capacity as directed by the DPH guidance.
■ At the start of the 2019-2020 school year, school district officials said they contracted an outside HVAC mechanical engineering firm to review systems and approve updates and plans for each school. Administrators have created and will continue to utilize outdoor learning spaces at each school to encourage having students outside whenever possible.
■ Schools will continue to emphasize that students stay home when they are sick. Parents must continue to follow health screening protocols that have been established. These health protocols incorporate recommendations from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the state of Connecticut and the West Hartford-Bloomfield Health District. Both staff and eligible students have been encouraged to be vaccinated “as this is the best mitigation tool to keep the community safe.” Through partnerships with the West Hartford/ Bloomfield Health District and UConn Health, clinics have been provided for both staff and students, and will continue to be if needed.
■ Before- and after-school programs, sports and activities will proceed as planned, with consideration for spacing and outdoors as appropriate. Fully vaccinated students/staff do not have to quarantine from sports or other activities provided they remain asymptomatic after close contact with a known COVID-19 case.