Metro school districts switch to ‘mask optional’ following latest CDC guidelines

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Gwinnett County Public Schools announced Friday that the district will transition from requiring students and staff to wear masks to strongly recommending masks in its facilities.

The move comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated guidance Friday, saying that areas with low levels of transmission could scale back on wearing masks indoors. The statistics they are using to measure whether a community is in the high, medium or low transmission range is completely different than what they’ve previously used.

Based on the latest information and the new formula, Gwinnett County falls in the low range, according to the CDC.

Wearing masks has been a contentious issue over the last couple of years for Gwinnett County. The district’s masking policies led to protests from parents and even a lawsuit against the district.

RELATED STORIES:

• Group of parents take out newspaper ad against Gwinnett school mask mandate
• Parents protest mask mandate in Gwinnett County Public Schools
• Parents file lawsuit against Gwinnett Board of Education looking to end mask mandate

The district said school leaders will be reviewing and updating quarantine and isolation procedures to in light of the new guidance.

Late Friday night, Atlanta Public Schools announced they too would be going mask optional starting March 1.

The district said it would also remove the mandatory testing requirement for students participating in athletics and extracurricular activities, as well as shift mandatory testing for employees from twice-weekly to once per week.

RELATED NEWS:

Police investigating after people disrupt Gwinnett County school board meeting over masks

©2022 Cox Media Group