No Decision Yet On Extending Mask Mandate For MA Schools

A lot of people are waiting to hear if there's going to be an extension on the mask mandate for schools in Massachusetts. That includes parents, teachers, school staff, and most importantly, the students.

At the start of the 2021 school year, a mask mandate was put in place by the Department of Education until November 1. Well, guess what? November 1 is coming up quickly.

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According to WWLP/News 22 Springfield, with the deadline fast approaching, parents are again stressing out and stressing safety measures with their kids in case the mandate is lifted. This past Monday, Governor Charlie Baker told reporters:

We’ll talk to you about that when we get toward the end of the month.

For his part, Secondary Education Commissioner Jeff Riley said during a recent press conference:

By early next week, a decision will be made whether or not as to continue masks. So that’s important information that people need to know.

The current mandate in place requires that all students, staff, and visitors over the age of 5 wear a mask inside K-12 school buildings regardless of their coronavirus vaccination status.

The exception to that rule? Schools where at least 80 percent of staff and students are fully vaccinated. However, regardless of what the state decides to do, the decision on lifting the mandate still rests with local school officials.

For more on the story, visit WWLP's website here.