By Scott Edger
Little Apple Post
Monday night, in a special meeting of the USD 383 Board of Education, board members voted 4-1 to again require masks inside all district facilities.
The policy starts today.
District Superintendent Dr. Marvin Wade recommended a temporary return to mask requirements in all district facilities.
Members of the district’s Medical Advisory Team, made up of local doctors and representatives of the Health Department, also addressed board members.
Doctor Ryan Knopp told the board that the likelihood of the district seeing “unprecedented numbers” of COVID cases and children hospitalized in the next four to eight weeks “is the highest it’s been so far in the pandemic,” he said.
Knopp said that the situation a month ago, when the MAT recommended optional masks at the high school, warranted the loosening of mask restrictions, but as developments progressed the situation changed dramatically. The combination of the lingering delta variant the fast-paced onset of the omicron variant – at a contagiousness level comparable to measles – took everyone by surprise.
“We humbly have to say we did not see this coming,” he said.
He said that surging COVID numbers, in conjunction with surges of influenza and other seasonal respiratory illness led to a very challenging situation in healthcare.
The MAT pointed out that the masks would be a proactive measure and a step toward keeping schools open, rather than waiting for a massive surge in illnesses and being forced to take reactive action and shut down schools.
“This gives us a chance to get going after winter break,” Wade said. “Then we could review where we’re at,” Wade said.
The board will review the action at their February 2nd meeting.