Continue with Masks

School District to Continue with Masks Until Transmission Rates Fall
Posted on 09/28/2021
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The Carson City School District announced Tuesday evening at the school board meeting it will continue to require all individuals including students, employees, parents, vendors, volunteers, visitors and guests, to wear face coverings when indoors and while on school buses.

Although COVID-19 cases have been declining somewhat in Carson City, the county is still considered as having a "High Transmission" rate. The temporary mask requirement for students will remain in effect until county transmission rates fall to the “Low” category for two consecutive weeks.

The Carson City School Board of Trustees previously approved, in a unanimous vote of 7-0, the district’s reopening plan, July 13, 2021, which recommended but did not require students to wear masks indoors. All employees, volunteers, visitors and guest have been required to wear masks indoors since the start of school.

The requirement was put in place Sept. 2 in response to increased student exclusions from close contacts of some infected students in schools throughout the district. The decision was implemented to minimize the loss of learning and operational inefficiencies that were occurring when large numbers of students were excluded from school.

Per the CDC criteria for close contacts, only those who were within 3 to 6 feet of the infected student would be considered close contacts, if both the infected student and the exposed student(s) wore well-fitting masks. If any infected student was not wearing a mask, then an entire class may need to be excluded from school and quarantined for a 10-day period. Vaccinated students do not need to be excluded or quarantined nor do students wearing masks, sitting more than 3 to 6 feet of the infected student(s).

The district also re-emphasized the critical role parents play in helping schools remain open for in-person learning. The district continues to plead that parents complete a Daily Self-Screening each morning before school and keep any child home if they experience any cold or flu symptoms.