CA Backpedals On School Mask Enforcement

Los Angeles CA

13 July, 2021

5:12 PM

Description

LOS ANGELES, CA — Golden State health officials announced Monday that K-12 students who refuse to wear a mask indoors this fall will be banned from campus, but quickly backpedaled, leaving enforcement methods up to individual school districts instead. The initial guidance from the California Department of Public Health said that schools will be required to "exclude students from campus if they are not exempt from wearing a face covering under CDPH guidelines." But CDPH tweeted Monday evening, "California's school guidance will be clarified regarding masking enforcement, recognizing local schools' experience in keeping students and educators safe while ensuring schools fully reopen for in-person instruction." The official guidance outlines that K-12 students must wear masks while indoors. The state eliminated social distancing requirements suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Students will not need to wear a mask while outdoors. The new rule, which was announced last week, comes as the highly transmissible delta variant festers in California and became the dominant strain this month. An announcement to lift the mask mandate for the spring semester could come as early as Nov. 1. But officials said they would be working to assess the prevalence of the coronavirus until then. To date, only Californians 12 years of age or older can be vaccinated against the coronavirus, a rule that will force vaccinated and unvaccinated students to mingle. "This guidance is designed to enable all schools to offer and provide full in-person instruction to all students safely, consistent with the current scientific evidence about COVID-19, even if pandemic dynamics shift throughout the school year, affected by vaccination rates and the potential emergence of viral variants," the new guidance said. It remains to be seen how districts will enforce the mandate. In Long Beach, officials said they were working on specific guidelines. "We're committed to full-time, in-person instruction when the new semester begins," said Chris Eftychiou, spokesman for the Long Beach Unified School District. "We appreciate that the newest guidance supports our commitment to in-person learning. As we approach the Aug. 31 start of the new school year, we'll continue monitoring masking guidance in partnership with Long Beach Health and Human Services before establishing more specific protocols." Alternatively, in Orange County, the Board of Education voted 4-1 to pass a resolution last week to make mask-wearing optional, Voice of OC reported. The board reportedly sent a written request to the state asking it to drop the mask mandate in classrooms. California's new masking rules for students are tougher than those recommended by the CDC. The federal guidelines advised that students and teachers can forgo masks if they have been vaccinated. The CDC further recommended that schools keep 3 feet of distance between students inside classrooms. "It's outrageous," Jonathan Zachreson, a father of three students and founder of the group Reopen California Schools, told The Associated Press. "We're continuing to put the burden of this pandemic on our children, and it needs to stop." Last week, Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state's health secretary, said masks would remain a requirement for campuses statewide — despite federal guidance saying that fully vaccinated teachers and students don't need to wear face coverings in school buildings. "Masking is a simple and effective intervention that does not interfere with offering full in- person instruction," Ghaly said last week. "At the outset of the new year, students should be able to walk into school without worrying about whether they will feel different or singled out for being vaccinated or unvaccinated — treating all kids the same will support a calm and supportive school environment." The Los Angeles Unified School District did not immediately comment on Monday's statements from the state. But the district had already approved a contract amendment with the United Teachers Los Angeles union that also required mask-wearing. When the LAUSD begins its fall semester Aug. 16 — offering in-person instruction for all students — masks will be required for "all students, staff and visitors" over age 2 at district sites and on buses, according to current rules. The LAUSD's current practices also include instruction and reinforcement of proper hygiene, with hand-washing breaks built into daily schedules. The district will also maintain physical distancing, with the "standard goal" of 6 feet. The district will also maintain physical distancing, with the "standard goal" of 6 feet. The L.A. school district remains tougher on coronavirus rules than most of the state, as the region was once the state's virus epicenter. The area's recently reported cases also pushed the county's positivity rate up to 2.9 percent Tuesday. In a recent nonscientific survey, Patch asked readers whether they thought students should be required to wear masks at all while at school. More than 61 percent said "no," while 35.2 percent said "yes," and just 3.7 percent were unsure. The CDPH's latest mask guidance reads as follows: Masks are optional outdoors for all in K-12 school settings.K-12 students are required to mask indoors, with exemptions per CDPH face mask guidance.Adults in K-12 school settings are required to mask when sharing indoor spaces with students.People exempted from wearing a face covering due to a medical condition must wear a nonrestrictive alternative, such as a face shield with a drape on the bottom edge, as long as their condition permits it.Schools must develop and implement local protocols to provide a face covering to students who inadvertently fail to bring a face covering to school to prevent unnecessary exclusions.Consistent with guidance from the 2020-'21 school year, schools must develop and implement local protocols to enforce the mask requirements. Additionally, schools should offer alternative educational opportunities for students who are excluded from campus because they will not wear a face covering. Public schools should be aware of the requirements in AB 130 to offer independent study programs for the 2021-'22 school year.In limited situations where a face covering cannot be used for pedagogical or developmental reasons, such as communicating or assisting young children or those with special needs, a face shield with a drape can be used instead of a face covering while in the classroom as long as the wearer maintains physical distance from others. Staff must return to wearing a face covering outside of the classroom. City News Service contributed to this report.