NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Public School announced Thursday that based on the recent changes to the masking guidance in schools, a continuation of universal masking is recommended for grades K-12.
Along with the recommendation, starting March 7, the school system will remove Omicron-related restrictions, such as the reduced use of assembly spaces and increased social distancing.
Defined by the CDC, if the levels of community spread remain low then the recommendation will be lifted on March 21, three weeks after Mardi Gras.
According to data collected from students and vaccination records, more than 45% of students are fully vaccinated and 60% have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
The decision is a part of the city looking to lift the proof of vaccine or proof of a negative test for indoor settings on that same day, March 21, as long as there is no spike following Mardi Gras.
The City of New Orleans removed their mask mandate Thursday morning, two days after Mardi Gras celebrations.
NOLA-PS Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr. made a statement on the recommendation:
“We want to make sure we keep our students and staff safe. Keeping our many layers of protection in place – social distancing, ongoing testing, and our vaccine mandate – will continue to curb future spikes of COVID-19.”
The isolation period for those that test positive will be reduced from 10 to 5 days as stated in the Louisiana Department of Health’s COVID-19 Updates.
COVID testing programs for students will remain.