Newton County schools lifting mask mandate for students

NEWTON COUNTY, Ga. — Beginning Monday, students and staff of the Newton County School System will no longer be required to wear a protective mask.

School Superintendent Samantha Fuhrey announced Saturday the system is lifting their requirement but are still strongly recommending students and staff continue to utilize the masks to protect against COVID-19 infections.

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Fuhrey said the system’s mandate was always going to be temporary and based on transmission rates and community conditions. She added that after reviewing local data and speaking to doctors in the county, she felt it was time to loosen the restrictions.

“While we are loosening our mask requirement, it continues to be important that students and staff wash their hands, use hand sanitizer, and watch their distance as an integral part of our layered prevention strategy,” Fuhrey said.

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The school system reported 12 COVID-19 student cases and four staff cases in their most recent weekly update. They said 36 students and two staff members were in precautionary quarantine.

By contrast, they said at the end of August they had 154 student cases and 24 staff cases along with approximately 500 students and staff members in quarantine.

“Since August 9th our students and employees have been practicing the three W’s –washing their hands, wearing their masks, and watching their distance,” Fuhrey said. “And I am confident their actions have played a huge role in the decrease in COVID-19 cases in both our school system and the Newton County community at large.”

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Furhey emphasized that with the holiday season quickly approaching, if COVID-19 infections start to rise as people begin gathering again, the mask mandate may come back.

“We are approaching the holiday season and people will congregate amongst family and friends who they might not ordinarily see,” Furhey said. “The chances of becoming exposed to COVID-19 will be high. So please understand, if our community’s COVID-19 cases increase again, we will be forced to reinstitute the mask mandate.”

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