About 85% of Connecticut schools dropping mask rule
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) - Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont says about 85% of school districts across the state have elected to drop mandatory face mask wearing as of Monday, the day when local officials were allowed to decide whether to extend the state's mask mandate.
But the Democrat made it clear he thinks it's fine that some districts, including Hartford, New Haven and Waterbury, are keeping the mandate in place for now.
"There's some people who say New Haven should not be allowed to do that," said Lamont, following a news conference about his recent trade mission to Israel.
"What do you want to do? You want to be like Ron DeSantis," asked Lamont, referring to the Republican governor from Florida. "You want to fine New Haven if they want to leave the mask mandate in place a little bit longer? You want to cut off their state funding like they do in Florida? I think we got it about right."
School districts also appear to be taking different approaches when it comes to mask-wearing requirements on school transportation after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it is no longer requiring masks to be worn on buses or vans operated by public or private school systems as of Feb. 25. South Windsor Public School, where masks are now optional in schools, also made masks optional on school buses and vans Monday. But in nearby Glastonbury Public Schools, where face masks are now optional in school buildings, masks still must be worn on buses.
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Earlier this month, the General Assembly voted to temporarily extend some of Lamont's remaining pandemic-related executive orders that were set to expire Feb. 15, including a statewide mask mandate for schools and child care centers. However, citing declining infection and hospitalization numbers, Lamont said he only wanted to keep the mask mandate in place until Feb. 28, giving local school boards time to decide whether masking is necessary in their schools.
The Department of Public Health recently released guidance to school districts regarding the metrics they should consider when deciding to end the mask mandate or restart required mask-wearing if another coronavirus outbreak develops in the future.