DOTHAN, Ala. – Several weeks after the Easter break and the lifting of Alabama’s statewide mask mandate, more Alabama school districts have made face coverings optional.
Shelby County students and staff now have to option to keep masks on in classrooms or during school activities.
Washington County and Pell City have ended the mandate in the past week.
St. Clair County schools have said they plan to stop asking students and staff to mask at the end of the month, but will still ask visitors to wear face coverings. Others, like Jasper City, will continue to wear masks inside but will relax rules for outside activities.
Eufala City had planned to end its mask rules, but Superintendent Joey Brannan said in a message last week that all employees and students in grades 2-12 would be required to keep masks on while in school buildings and on school buses.
“We are fortunate we have not had a COVID-19 outbreak following Easter/spring break. However, we do want to finish the school year strong and feel this continuation will help ensure a strong finish,” Brannan wrote.
According to public statements, about 30 school districts have said they plan to keep masks through the rest of the school year.
The Alabama Department of Public Health still encourages mask-wearing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommends them as one of the layers of prevention needed to stop the spread of coronavirus in school settings.
The ADPH schools COVID-19 tracker reported a slight uptick in cases in school settings in the past week. Schools reported 360 cases against 334 in the previous week, though many districts did not report numbers at all.
