Rochester schools mandate masks — for two-year-olds (And Our Betters Wonder Why We're PISSED OFF?)

[Valin]

Alpha News

Interim Superintendent Kent Pekel said face coverings protect students who aren't eligible for vaccines.

A.J. Kaufman

July 30, 2021

Earlier this week, Rochester Public Schools voted to require students as young as two to wear masks inside school facilities during the upcoming school year.

The district noted the COVID-19 vaccine has not been approved for children below age 12. So children between 2 and 12 will be required to wear masks, while those 12 and older can go mask-free.

Interim Superintendent Kent Pekel said face coverings protect students who aren’t eligible for vaccines.

“When we have the opportunity as is anticipated to vaccinate younger children, and those rates of vaccination are sufficiently high, we could remove the requirement for our youngest learners,” Pekel said. “So I wish I could tell the board that this is the last time that you’d be dealing with this, but I think it’s very likely that we need to continue to be responsive to this situation over time.”

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Meanwhile, much-maligned CDC Director Rochelle Walensky recommended this week that everyone — including vaccinated teachers and staff — should wear masks inside K-12 schools, a flip-flop from recent guidance saying that inoculated adults need not don masks indoors.

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