Fayette County Announces “Mask Optional” as of Jan. 25, 2022
As of Jan. 25, 2022 masks will be optional for students and faculty in Fayette County Public Schools.
Jan 25, 2022
As of Tues. Jan. 25, Fayette County Public Schools will no longer be requiring masks in indoor facilities. Fayette County believes that since the case numbers for COVID have gone down since the return from break, it is a safe time to remove the mask mandate.
“Our COVID-19 Task Force has been closely monitoring the school system’s case numbers since the return from semester break; we are pleased to report that there has not been a significant spike in positive cases at our schools as we had suspected given that the new variant is easier to transmit,” reads the email sent from Fayette County Public Schools on Jan. 24, 2022. In addition to a lack of a spike, there has also been a decrease in positive cases.
While face masks will be deemed optional for indoor facilities, masks will be continued to be required for both school bus drivers and riders. “All school bus riders must wear face coverings while being transported by Fayette County Public Schools in order to comply with the mandate,” reads the email.
Even though the mask mandate has been lifted it is still “highly recommending that all students, staff and visitors wear face coverings while inside a Fayette County Public Schools building” in order to continue in-person learning. Fayette County has also asked parents to keep children who show symptoms of COVID-19 home. The COVID-19 Task Force has been noted that they will continue to keep an eye on the number of positive tests, and may re-implement the mask mandate if need be.
Additionally, Fayette County will continue to use the modified quarantine protocol. “Students can remain in school as long as they wear a face covering for 10 days, and are not having COVID-19 symptoms or test positive for COVID-19.”
For the most part, the lift of the mask mandate has received mostly positive responses. While some students are feeling a little apprehensive about no masks, the student body has been generally okay with it.
Sophomore Jackson Wilson says, “I think it’s good to see everyone’s faces.”
“I’m fine with it, I feel as if since this variant is so contagious everyone will get and become immune so it can end, but I like that students can still choose to wear the mask or not,” says Freshman Ava Cook. “I think the school has done a good job about keeping everyone safe.”
“First of all, there is a new strain of COVID, and COVID cases are rising, but it doesn’t really bother me,” says freshman Carla Esquivel. “We should wear them but I don’t care.”
Other parts of the school do not believe that we are in a place where masks should be optional.
“I think that masks shouldn’t be optional due to the fact that the people who don’t wear masks are harming others who are trying to protect themselves,” says freshman Kenda Godinez-Zitle.
