(From Springfield Public Schools)
Throughout the summer, vaccination rates in the community and region have remained low and Springfield has experienced an alarming surge in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
Most recently, updated masking guidance has been issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics, encouraging a return to in-person learning five days a week with masking required for all students enrolled in grades pre-K through 12. This guidance is supported by the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, CoxHealth and Mercy.
As a result, in order to ensure students are able to learn in-person, five days a week, Springfield Public Schools will require students and staff to wear masks, effective immediately. This decision supports the goal of a safe start to the school year Aug. 23.
“We learned many important lessons about COVID-19 last year. Masking is effective in limiting the spread of the virus at school and reducing the number of cases required to quarantine,” explained Dr. Grenita Lathan, superintendent of SPS. “Keeping more students in school supports their learning and social development while allowing parents to work without frequent disruptions caused when students must quarantine at home following exposure. Our goal is to remove the masking requirement, in collaboration with public health experts, as soon as local data indicates it is appropriate. In the meantime, we will continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on our community and encourage all those over the age of 12 to be vaccinated now. Only by increasing vaccination rates can we hope to quickly return to the sense of normalcy that we all agree is needed.”
As a result, in order to ensure students are able to learn in-person, five days a week, Springfield Public Schools will require students and staff to wear masks, effective immediately. This decision supports the goal of a safe start to the school year Aug. 23.
“We learned many important lessons about COVID-19 last year. Masking is effective in limiting the spread of the virus at school and reducing the number of cases required to quarantine,” explained Dr. Grenita Lathan, superintendent of SPS. “Keeping more students in school supports their learning and social development while allowing parents to work without frequent disruptions caused when students must quarantine at home following exposure. Our goal is to remove the masking requirement, in collaboration with public health experts, as soon as local data indicates it is appropriate. In the meantime, we will continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on our community and encourage all those over the age of 12 to be vaccinated now. Only by increasing vaccination rates can we hope to quickly return to the sense of normalcy that we all agree is needed.”
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