Schaffzin wrote, but it's clear that the best course of action remains getting vaccinated. The distinction between pandemic and endemic 'is not well defined,' Dr. 'We know that numbers on community transmission are favorable in most areas, and CDC guidelines support unmasking in a number of community contexts – so it seems reasonable to try now.' Schaffzin wrote in an email to The Enquirer. 'However, if our goal is to stop masking at some point, the only way we will know it’s the right time is by trying,' Dr. Joshua Schaffzin, director of infection prevention and control at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, said it's hard to know when the 'right' time is to stop masking. Eugene Blalock, superintendent of North College Hill City Schools, confirmed the district will suspend its mask policy once students and staff return from spring break later this month.ĭr. Healthy City Schools will go mask-optional on Monday, officials said. 'And the board felt that it was best just to take a wait-and-see attitude.' 'It's out of an abundance of caution that we wanted to make sure that the variants were in check and the kids were safe,' Webb told The Enquirer. Bernard-Elmwood Place City Schools superintendent Mimi Webb said masks are mandatory for students, staff and visitors at this time, though the board will consider a change at the end of the month. Others on the list have forgone mandatory masking since Thursday, like Winton Woods and Akron City Schools.ĭistricts that are still requiring masks are discussing going optional soon. Even that rate is an overestimate, though, since it included Finneytown, which went mask-optional the day before the list was posted, and Three Rivers, which dropped its mask mandate months ago. Ferrara said she thinks it's too soon for schools to try to go 'back to normal.' But as of mid-March, two years since the onset of the pandemic, less than 3% of Ohio K-12 districts require masks.Īccording to the state's master list updated on Thursday, 21 of Ohio's 609 school systems required masks for some or all students, down from 291 in mid-October.

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