MALDEN — State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley announced on Wednesday that the statewide mask mandate for K-12 public schools will be lifted on Feb. 28.
“During the past two years, the impact of COVID-19 on children has caused a strain on their mental health, emotional well-being and academic success. We are relieved to now be in a place where we can provide young people additional relief from COVID-19 restrictions so they can continue to return to normalcy in the classroom,” said Riley.
The decision was made in consultation with infectious-disease physicians, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), and other medical experts.
“Vaccinations are the best protection against COVID-19, and Massachusetts has among the highest vaccination rates of young people, and is a national leader in overall vaccination,” DESE stated.
Fifty-two percent of all individuals in Massachusetts who are fully vaccinated have received a booster shot, compared to 42 percent of the national population.
“With Massachusetts as a national leader in vaccinating kids, combined with our robust testing programs, it is time to lift the mask mandate in schools and give students and staff a sense of normalcy after dealing with enormous challenges over the past two years,” said Gov. Charlie Baker. “We have all the tools to keep schools safe as we move into dealing with the next phase of managing COVID.”
The Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (ECC) will also lift the mask requirements currently in place for all licensed child-care providers effective Feb. 28, and allow programs to develop policies specific to the children they serve.
With the lifting of the statewide mask requirement, school districts no longer need to request a waiver from DESE to remove masks in school buildings where 80 percent of staff and students are vaccinated. Masking will be a choice in schools across the commonwealth, regardless of vaccination rates within a school; however, a school district is allowed to establish a local requirement.
“Schools are safe environments. Most children now have had access to vaccinations that greatly reduce the risk for severe disease for several months, and thousands of families across the commonwealth have taken this opportunity to protect their children,” said Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. “This is the right time to lift the mask mandate, and we will continue to encourage vaccination and host clinics at any school that wants to hold one to further protect its students from COVID.”
The state’s school-testing programs will remain in place. Last month, DESE and DPH launched updated school-COVID-19-testing options, including providing participating teachers and staff with at-home rapid tests weekly, to optimize in-person learning.
“With more than 2,000 public and private schools in the commonwealth participating in COVID-19 testing, DESE and DPH have gathered robust data about the prevalence of COVID-19 in schools that clearly illustrates schools are safe environments for teaching and learning,” the department stated. “Schools are one of the few types of settings in the state where individuals are tested on a regular basis.”
Masking continues to be required on all school buses, per federal order.
