To Mask Or Not To Mask In School — States Are Deciding, Differently

AP: New Mexico Releases Plans For Masking, Vaccines In Schools
New Mexico education officials released updated guidance on COVID-19 case reporting, masking requirements and vaccine considerations for K-12 schools this fall. The new rules rolled out Monday give vaccinated students more chances to take off masks. It also allows them to avoid quarantines if there’s an outbreak on campus. Schools serving only middle or high school students can choose to allow vaccinated children to go without masks in most situations. (Attanasio, 7/27)

AP: Updated Hawaii Health Guidance A Week Before New School Year
Hawaii’s Department of Health has updated it guidance to schools a week before the start of another school year during the pandemic. The department’s guidance announced Monday includes recommendations for wearing masks in all indoor settings and maintaining at least 3 feet (1 meter) of physical distance between students in classrooms, when possible. (7/26)

AP: Beshear Urges Masks In Schools To Try To Avoid Disruptions
Kentucky’s governor on Monday urged school districts to require mask-wearing in schools to minimize the risk of disruptions from an escalating coronavirus surge fueled by the highly contagious delta variant. With schools reopening in coming weeks, Gov. Andy Beshear called on local school district leaders to take the recommended steps needed to protect students and school workers while trying to avoid the pandemic-caused disruptions that hampered the previous academic year. (Schreiner and Blackburn, 7/26)

AP: New COVID-19 Testing Program Offered To Kentucky Schools
The Kentucky Department for Public Health is offering a COVID-19 Testing Program for schools to assist with safe in-person learning for the upcoming academic year, Commissioner Steven Stack announced Monday. It is limited to staff and students of Kentucky K-12 public, private and charter schools. (7/27)

The Advocate: Louisiana Schools Will Determine Their Own COVID Restrictions, State Says
Unlike last year, Louisiana public school leaders are deferring to local school officials on face masks and other safety measures amid the rising number of cases of the coronavirus. Sandy Holloway, president of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, said the board is standing by guidelines by the state Department of Education released on July 8, well before the latest surge. BESE sets policy for the state's public school systems. "BESE has issued no mandates and approved no policies related to masking or distancing in schools for the coming year," Holloway said in a statement. (Sentell, 7/26)

NBC News: With Ban On Mask Mandates, Texas Teachers Fear Covid Surge As School Year Nears
As second grade teacher Aaron Phillips prepares to return to his classroom in Amarillo, Texas, in a few weeks, he is increasingly concerned that he and his students will be at risk in an alarming surge in coronavirus cases driven by the highly contagious delta variant. Phillips is vaccinated and will be wearing a mask when school starts Aug. 17, but it is unclear how many of his students or the other adults in the building will also be wearing them after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott banned public school districts from requiring face coverings. (Silva, 7/26)

In related news about covid transmission at college —

CIDRAP: COVID In Dorms Led To Roommate Transmission 20% Of The Time, Study Says
Out of 574 multiple-occupancy dorm rooms, roommate transmissions occurred only 20% of the time, according to a study during the fall 2020 semester at the University of Colorado Boulder. The study, published late last week in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, looked at 6,408 dormitory students at the University of Colorado Boulder who were subject to a mandatory weekly COVID-19 test. From Aug 24 to Nov 25, 2020, 16.5% tested positive, with most asymptomatic at the time of testing. Case investigations and contact tracing showed that many cases originated off campus. (7/26)