By Juan Perfetti
The Shrewsbury School Committee voted unanimously to force children, staff, and visitors in all public schools to wear “masks” indoors, regardless of their COVID-19 vaccination status.
In a document outlining the “COVID-19 Mitigation Protocols” for the school year, Superintendent Joe Sawyer recommended the severe measure to be implemented at the beginning of the school year 2021-2022.
According to Sawyer, the decision comes after “consultation with medical and public health experts,” but in the entire document there is not even a mention of the most basic thing: what kind of masks should be required to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Additionally, the public schools will not require to wear “masks” outdoors but has removed any mandates regarding physical distancing. So, the children will closely hang out without “masks” to minutes later be required to wear it indoors.
The school district will not allow remote schooling this year.
In the case families do not want their kids to be forced to wear “masks,” the School District offers three options: Homeschooling; Private School; or an approved Virtual School.
On June 15, 2021, the Governor of Massachusetts ended the State of Emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the mask mandate was rescinded on May 29. On July 30, 2021, after the CDC updated their mask guidance concerning the Delta variant of the virus, the Government of Massachusetts issued a new indoors mask advisory for individuals with a “weakened immune system, or are at increased risk for severe disease because of age or an underlying medical condition or if someone in your household has a weakened immune system, is at increased risk for severe disease, or is an unvaccinated adult.” Masks are still mandatory for all individuals on public and private transportation systems, healthcare facilities and in other settings hosting “vulnerable populations, such as congregate care settings.”
To learn more about the COVID-19 in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Shrewsbury Post invite you to visit Mass.gov.
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