Columbia County schools’ mask mandate gets mixed reactions
EVANS, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Columbia County schools will require masks starting Thursday.
It all came after school district officials say they have 1,000 people at home quarantining and 296 students testing positive for coronavirus this week. We were there when the announcement came down and were first to get you the news. But with it came some big reactions and bigger questions.
Our investigative journalist Meredith Anderson’s social media post on the mask mandate currently stands at over 400 comments since Tuesday night. As with everything during the pandemic, thoughts on the protocol are a mixed bag. But this time, some parents tell us they’re left questioning why it took close to 300 positive cases in just a few days for district officials to decide to require masks.
The school board room was full when the decision to require masks came down. Outside, Columbia County mom Chasity Foster had some words.
“Now I’m calling out Columbia County Board of Education,” she said.
Foster says her kindergartner caught COVID shortly after the start of the school year.
“It was deeply concerning, because Mikaelis is special needs. And as parents, we have worked very very hard to protect Mikaelis,” she said.
Although she’s glad masks are required now, she’s losing trust in the process.
“The school board is failing,” she said. “So, really I have no faith in the mandate, in any of our district leaders at this time.”
So we wanted see what class with masks will look like. We asked the school board how it plans to enforce the mandate. They answered, “Students will be socially distanced as much as possible if they are not wearing a mask and will be required to quarantine if they come in with an individual who tests positive at their school.”
When we asked if they’d have masks for students and staff who forgot one they said, “We encourage parents to send their child to school with a face covering each day as much as possible.”
Some are against the masks, but others are in favor.
“I feel like it’s a little bit too late,” said Foster.
Some are taken aback from the timing.
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