Arlington Public Schools Encouraging Students, Staff To Mask Up

ARLINGTON, MA — Arlington's Superintendent Elizabeth C. Homan is encouraging all students, teachers, and staff to wear masks indoors after the district recorded 159 positive cases last week, reported The Boston Globe.

The recommendation comes days after Middlesex County was rated as having “high" COVID-19 transmission levels and the CDC reinstituted an indoor mask recommendation for the area.

“Due to rapidly increasing rates of COVID-19 in our schools, starting May 9th, Arlington Public Schools strongly recommends that all students and staff wear masks while indoors, except when necessary for eating or drinking,” Homan wrote in a letter to families Sunday.

She said school officials will notify families by May 15 if they plan to extend the recommendation, The Globe reported.

“It is important to note that this is a temporary recommendation, not a requirement, and that in addition to this recommendation we will be continuing our monitoring of ventilation, doing additional testing and providing access to home testing where necessary, and emphasizing the importance and use of air purifiers and open windows,” Homan continued. “We are making the recommendation in consultation with the Arlington Department of Health and Human Services, and in the interest of meeting our top priority: maintaining adequate staffing levels for safety and supportive learning environments in our schools.”

Homan said the recommendation applies to all schools that currently do not have mask requirements in place. Masks are currently required at Dallin Elementary School, Gibbs Middle School, and Menotomy Preschool.