Schools beginning to lift COVID-19 protocols

With Mayo Clinic’s modeling showing the average COVID-19 cases would peak in early February, and hospitalizations to follow, more schools are also starting to lift their COVID-19 protocols.

Officials with South Washington County Schools say their masking policy has been in place for younger students, mainly because when school started, those age groups didn’t have a vaccine.

Now that they do – and COVID-19 numbers are declining in the district – masks will no longer be required.

“We are still following guidance from the CDC and Minnesota Department of Health, where we are strongly recommending people wear face coverings, but they will no longer be required in elementary and middle school,” said Pepe Barton, with South Washington County Schools.

Stillwater officials plan to make a determination on Friday. If COVID-19 cases continue to decline, masking will no longer be required.

“It would be the recommendation of the administration to the board we rescind the current mask resolution if the cases continue to go down,” said Stillwater Area Public Schools Interim Superintendent Malinda Lansfeldt.

Anoka-Hennepin has a policy that looks at county COVID-19 case rates and student absences. Based on the numbers, only one of its 41 schools in the district was required to wear face masks this week, but not all policies are the same.

Osseo-Maple Grove parent John Amundsen believes the changes for his students won’t be for the better.

“It will now change the guidance from masking due to COVID to masking and including all types of illnesses which is very, very confusing to families in the district. You want to get rid of it all together, just be done with the masks? Absolutely,” said Amundsen.

The district states in a letter that its new model for mandating masks looks at student and staff absences at the individual school level. Decisions made on Fridays would go into effect the following Monday.