HOOD RIVER — On Feb. 7, Oregon Health Authority announced that Oregon will remove mask requirements for K-12 schools no later than March 31.
“By late March, health scientists expect that about 400 or fewer Oregonians would be hospitalized with COVID-19, the level of hospitalizations the state experienced before the omicron variant began to spread,” OHA stated in a press release. “Mask requirements for schools will be lifted on March 31. However, state health officials say Oregon needs to keep mask requirements in place for now as COVID-19 hospitalizations crest and Oregon’s health care system strains to treat high numbers of severely ill patients.”
HRCSD Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn is moving to the superintendent position for the White Salmon School District.
It was one of the topics Hood River County School District Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn addressed in his board communication during the Feb. 9 virtual school board meeting.
Though the state may lift the mask mandate prior to March 31, the rule will remain in effect for students who utilize district transportation to and from school. “This is a federal rule, not a state rule,” Polkinghorn said. “This timeline will give schools time to prepare new rules and protocols. It also gives families time to vaccinate their children.”
The district will continue to consult with the Hood River County Health Department, as per OHA and Oregon Department of Education guidance, “school districts and local public health authorities can set metrics for a return to masks and make rules to impose masks if/when they are determined to be necessary,” he said.
The next step will be to gather and analyze input from the school community, including students, staff and parents. Those wishing to share any thoughts and questions regarding the removal of mask requirements for K-12 schools can do so at the district’s Thought Exchange site, my.thoughtexchange.com/scroll/412816505/welcome. Those with questions about accessing the site should contact Stephanie Hoppe, director of communications, at stephanie.hoppe@hoodriver.k12.or.us.
Polkinghorn said that, with the lifting of the mask mandate, the district does run the risk of having more students and staff out due to exposure or illness, which could potentially impact the district’s ability to provide in-person learning.
Additionally, “ODE Director Colt Gill encouraged school leaders to seek legal advice on how dropping the mask rule would affect limited liability protections passed by the Oregon Legislature,” Polkinghorn said.
If the district decides to make masks optional, “there are many protocols and procedures in our RSSL (Ready Schools, Safe Learners)Resiliency framework that are based on universal masking that will require a change,” he said. “For instance, universal mask wearing allowed us to forgo contact tracing. We also would not be able to use the test-to-stay program that allows students to remain in school with a negative COVID-19 test. Students and staff returning from a quarantine would still have to wear a mask for days 6-10 after the onset of symptoms.”
However, district staff with an approved COVID-19 vaccine exemption will still be required to adhere to the accommodations made to keep them in classrooms.
Polkinghorn said district administration is “excited” about the possible lifting of masking requirements and that he appreciated the “long runway” provided by OHA and ODE for districts to consider the change.
“We have the time we need to make an informed decision about what is the best course of action for the health and safety of our students, our staff and our community,” he said, noting that at the March 9 board meeting, “we will be prepared to share our updated Ready Schools, Safe Learners Resiliency framework with the board and our community.”
OHA announcement
In its Feb. 9 announcement, OHA said that Oregon has the third lowest cumulative COVID-19 case rate in the United States and the seventh lowest COVID-19 death rate since the start of the pandemic.
“The evidence from Oregon and around the country is clear: Masks save lives by slowing the spread of COVID-19,” said Dean Sidelinger, M.D., health officer and state epidemiologist. “We should see COVID-19 hospitalizations drop by the end of March because so many Oregonians are wearing masks and taking other steps to protect themselves and each other, such as getting a booster shot or vaccinating their children. At that point, it will be safer to lift mask requirements.”
Current models show hospitalizations beginning to decline through March, but health officials “cautioned that the state’s emergence from the omicron surge depends on Oregonians sustaining effective prevention measures in coming weeks,” said the press release. “State health officials said they would consider lifting the general indoor mask requirement earlier than March 31, if hospitalizations decline to the levels projected by the end of March sooner than expected.”
OHA went on to say that health experts strongly recommend high-risk individuals continue wearing masks in public indoor settings even after mask requirements are lifted, such as those who are unvaccinated, immunocompromised, at high risk of COVID-19 hospitalization (including those with underlying health conditions and those 65 and older), and those living with people at high risk.
“To give school districts time to prepare, the mask requirements in schools will lift on March 31,” said the release. “Over the coming weeks, state health officials will work with Oregon Department of Education (ODE) officials to revise guidance to ensure schools can continue operating safely and keep students in class once the school mask requirements are lifted.”
OHA said that once masking requirements are lifted, employers and businesses may continue to establish their own requirements.
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