School districts across the country have begun lifting their masking requirements for students. In the Pacific Northwest, Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal shared his thoughts and recommendations. “My recommendation isn’t for an immediate removal,” said Reykdal. “I’m asking them to review it to ultimately make this a mask optional policy. Local health officials, of course, can always intervene.” CDC is still recommending universal masking for students, but Reykdal said it may be time to weigh the risks.
Reykdal said he isn’t worried about school closures as much. “We’ve seen in the last several weeks as omicron really peaked and started to fall, we never have more than 4% of our buildings having to close on a temporary basis as a result of infections, and it was generally adults. But we’ve gotten through that, and we’re back in person again everywhere,” said Reykdal. Washington state’s outdoor mask mandate for events with 500 or more people. will be lifted by Feb. 18, Gov Inslee announced Wednesday.
Oregon state officials announced Monday that most indoor mask requirements are set to lift by March 31 at the latest. Health officials will consider lifting the mandate for indoor public spaces earlier if COVID-related hospitalizations decline to projected levels earlier than expected. K-12 schools would continue to adhere to the mandate through March 31 to give districts planning time.
Another cause of concern when talking about lifting mask mandates comes to teacher and staff safety. The Washington Education Association (WEA), citing staffing shortages, said Wednesday it is not on board with Inslee’s plan. “We must anticipate that lifting the mask mandate will exacerbate the shortages and could interrupt learning,” the WEA said. Oregon State Health Officer and epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger said it is unlikely the state will enforce a masking requirement in the future because of the availability of vaccines and boosters.
