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GCSS announces mask requirement for students and staff
August 10, 2021
Greensboro, Ga. — The Greene County School System announced that effective Wednesday, August 11th, wearing masks will be required for all students and staff inside school buildings and on the school bus.
Superintendent Chris Houston directed the change in mask policy after the rate of student cases within the district reached 1%, the threshold the school system leadership’s team had set at which it would reevaluate the district’s mask procedure.
Masks will be required regardless of vaccination status. The mask mandate will not apply to outdoor activities, such as recess and athletic events.
“Keeping schools open and safe continues to be our top priority this school year,” Dr. Houston said. “While the health and safety of our students and staff always comes first, maintaining in-person, face-to-face instruction is crucial as we work to recoup the learning loss caused by the pandemic.”
The district’s leadership monitor state and local COVID-19 conditions on a daily basis and continuously observe and evaluate school faculty and staff to ensure that all safety protocols are being followed. The school system continues to follow all CDC recommendations for contact tracing, quarantining, and reporting guidelines for students, just as it did last school year.
While the school system has seen an increase in cases within the last few days, the community spread of COVID-19 in Greene County remains low, with a local infection rate of 0.5% on the morning of August 10th, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health Daily COVID-19 Status Report. The past few days have seen a steady decline in cases within the county since a spike that occurred at the beginning of the month.