“Schools also need to be looking at ventilation, social distancing and good hygiene. But schools can only do their part. We need to make sure that parents safeguard their kids after school and on weekends.”
Biology class at Sylvan Hills High School in Sherwood. (Photo courtesy of PCSSD)
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County Special School District instituted a 60-day mask mandate on Aug. 10. The mandate was on the agenda for the scheduled Oct. 12 board meeting. Jessica Duff, executive director of communications, said the district has received some complaints about the policy, but nothing extreme like protests or blatant noncompliance. “Our students are doing a fantastic job wearing masks all day,” Duff said. “We attribute that in part to them seeing staff wearing them all day and having worn masks last year. We believe there is a strong correlation between students and staff wearing masks each day to the lower number of positive COVID-19 cases in
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the district.” In mid-September, the district saw the lowest number of positive cases and quarantines seen since school started. The district had 30 active cases with a total of 219 COVID cases as of the ADH report on Sept. 20. Dr. Joe Thompson, president and CEO of the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, believes there is no debate among health professionals that masks prevent transmission of COVID and other respiratory viruses. “Masks are important but are not the only strategy to protect our kids,” Thompson said. “Schools also need to be looking at ventilation, social distancing and good hygiene. But schools can only do their part. We need to make sure that parents safeguard their kids after school and on weekends. And vaccination of children who are eligible is the best path for protecting them. Currently vaccines are only approved for children ages 12 to 18, but approval of vaccines for those ages 5 to 11 is expected by the end of October.” Thompson said Arkansas is headed in the right direction with new cases of COVID declining. But it will take everyone — schools, workplaces, families and faith communities — working together to break transmission of the virus, he added. “Obviously, there is potential for new variants, but I hope that doesn’t happen. The more people we get vaccinated and protected, the quicker we will be able to get back to normal.”
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