BOSTON — The mask requirement in schools has been extended out another month.
Public school children aged 5 and older and all staff will have to wear masks inside school buildings until at least Nov. 1, with certain exemptions.
The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in August declared "exigent circumstances" and authorized the Commissioner Jeffrey Riley to institute universal masking based on a sudden rise in COVID-19 cases throughout the state near the end of July.
The mandate was put in place until at least Oct. 1. On Monday, Riley determined to extend the mask requirement "after consulting with medical experts and state health officials."
The mask mandate for vaccinated individuals will be lifted when 80 percent or more of all students and staff in a school are vaccinated.
This would not be able to be applied in elementary schools because children under the age of 12 cannot yet be vaccinated.
Counties are now ranging between 63 and 104 percent of eligible individuals vaccinated, with Berkshire County about 73 percent.
Vaccination of those 16-19 are varied throughout the state, Chelsea a high at 81 percent , according to Riley's presentation to the DESE Board of Education. There are also high rates of vaccination for that age group in Berkshire County as of Sept. 16, with low-rate outliers in the hilltowns and parts of South Berkshires.
In addition to masking, schools are also using social distancing of at least 3-feet and testing protocols, including the "test and stay" guidelines that can reduce quarantine times for those exposed to the novel coronavirus, to maintain in-person learning.
According to Riley, the test-and-stay protocol saved roughly 1,000 in-person school days last week, including 450 on Friday alone.
The mask guidance hasn't changed: It calls for mask breaks outside or when classroom windows can be opened, and when eating. Masks are also required on buses as part of the federal mandate requiring masks on public transportation.
Pfizer and BioNTech have been reporting good trial results in vaccine doses for children ages 5 to 11. These results have been submitted to the Food and Drug Administration.
Currently, only the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is fully approved by the FDA for use in individuals age 16 and older; other vaccines and use in those 12 to 16 is by FDA emergency authorization. Booster shots for the Pfizer vaccine were authorized last week for certain at-risk groups.
Massachusetts is one of the leading regions in vaccination rates at about 72 percent, not far behind Vermont and Puerto Rico.
The Baker administration has mandated vaccines for 42,000 state employees and health care workers but has declined to order one for educators despite support from the Massachusetts Teachers Association. Public colleges and universities, and many private ones, have instituted vaccine and masking mandates.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
Dalton Planning Board OKs Gravel Company Permit
By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The Planning Board approved the renewal of Nichols Sand and Gravel's special permit for earth removal.
The company, located at 190 Cleveland Road, operates a gravel pit there.
The hours of operation will remain 7 to 4 p.m. The commission approved owner Paul Nichols' request to allow trucks to depart the property in either direction.
Nichols has to apply for renewal of the special permit every year. The previous permit required the truck to exit the property to the right.
It makes more sense to go left if truck drivers have to go to the Pittsfield area, Nichols said. He has talked to the residents in the area and they are agreeable to the change.
Former residents requested this stipulation nearly 16 years ago to reduce the number of trucks using the residential street to avoid disturbing the quality of life and neighborhood.
There weren't any residents present during the meeting who expressed concerns regarding this change.
Having fun on April vacation doesn't have to break the bank. From baby animals to recreational activities and crafts, there is an array of free or low-cost family events happening across the county this week. click for more
On Thursday, the panel approved a notice of intent application for the use of EarthTec QZ within a specified treatment area of the lake.
click for more
Residents mapped out a West Side they would like to see during an input session this week, utilizing multi-use properties to create robust density. click for more