A Maryland elementary school in a Washington D.C. suburb, Rosemary Hills Elementary School, is reimposing a mask mandate for third-graders due to a small number of COVID-19 cases among students. OutKick founder Clay Travis shared a letter sent to parents, explaining the updated mask requirements, which quickly gained attention.
The letter, addressed to parents of students in a specific classroom, stated that three or more individuals in that class had tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 10 days. To minimize transmission, the school mandated N95 masks for students and staff in the affected class for the next 10 days, except during meals. After the specified period, mask-wearing would become optional again.
A DC area elementary school — Montgomery County, Maryland — is reinstating a mask mandate — N95’s — for third graders over a few kids testing positive for covid. Here’s the letter. They’re coming with masks for your kids again. Get ready. Read this insanity. pic.twitter.com/LZs4N19XLL
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) September 5, 2023
Principal Rebecca Irwin Kennedy also mentioned that at-home rapid test kits would be distributed to students and encouraged parents to monitor for COVID symptoms. The CDC’s guidelines for testing, including testing five days after exposure or when symptoms appear, were provided.
While some parents may support these measures to prevent COVID-19 spread in schools, others may find them controversial. The debate over mask mandates in schools continues amid concerns about the virus’s persistence and its various variants.
Dr. Brett Osborn, a neurosurgeon in Florida, commented that SARS-CoV-2 and its variants are unlikely to disappear entirely and are here to stay due to their high mutation rate, similar to influenza.
Rosemary Hills Elementary School has not yet responded to requests for comment on this matter.
