The Maryland State Board of Education voted Thursday for an emergency regulation to require children and adults to wear masks in K-12 schools statewide to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Most of Maryland’s 24 jurisdictions already have mandated masks in schools, five counties have not 鈥�- Carroll, Cecil, Dorchester, Somerset and Worcester counties.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended universal mask-wearing for teachers and students inside school buildings this fall, citing the rapid spread of the delta variant. Most states allow school districts to set their own mask policies. Maryland would join California, Illinois and Louisiana in deciding to require masks for students and teachers statewide, if a state legislative committee gives final approval.
Susan Getty, a board member, noted that about half of the state’s students are not even eligible for a vaccine at this time because of their age. People 12 and over are eligible to be vaccinated. Getty said mandating mask-wearing is an additional strategy to protect students, especially against the highly contagious delta variant.
鈥淭he CDC, as of today, has designated all counties in Maryland as high- or substantially-high risk. No one is in the low category,” Getty said. “Because of this and the 80,000 cases of COVID already with children under age 19, I fully support this mask mandate at this time.鈥�
The mandate still will require the approval of the Maryland General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive, and Legislative Review. The regulation could take effect 10 days after it is received by the committee. It would be effective for 180 days to meet exigent circumstances.
On Wednesday, a coalition of 32 of Maryland’s 47 state senators sent a letter to the board’s leadership, urging them to approve emergency masking in schools.
Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Baltimore Democrat, commended the board’s vote. He said the joint legislative committee 鈥渨ill work expeditiously to approve this emergency regulation.鈥� Ferguson also thanked State Superintendent of Schools Mohammed Choudhury for his leadership.
鈥淗is voice was a critical component in today鈥檚 decision to do what is in the best interest of students, families, teachers, and staff,鈥� Ferguson said in a statement.
The vote comes as Maryland has seen a rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. The state reported an increase of 1,244 confirmed cases over a 24-hour period on Thursday. Also on Thursday, hospitalizations reached 720, after having dipped below 100 on July 2.
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