Delaware extends COVID-19 mask mandate in all schools to Feb. 8

Meredith Newman, Delaware News Journal
·2 min read

Delaware will extend its mask requirement for all public and private schools until Feb. 8, Gov. John Carney announced Wednesday.

Carney, in a statement, hinted that there is a chance the mandate won't go past this date. The current regulation is set to expire in December.

“It’s our hope that, by February, we will be able to lift the state mask requirement," the governor said. "Our focus over the coming weeks and months will be on increasing Delaware’s vaccination rates. That’s how we’ll finally move past this pandemic."

The state first announced its mask mandate for all students, teachers and staff this summer. A small, yet vocal, group of residents opposed this decision, often speaking out at school board meetings.

EastSide Charter School students trade elbows as they are welcomed back to school by elected officials and community members at the annual Suit Up Show Up Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021, at EastSide Charter School in Wilmington.
EastSide Charter School students trade elbows as they are welcomed back to school by elected officials and community members at the annual Suit Up Show Up Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021, at EastSide Charter School in Wilmington.

Mask wearing, in addition to vaccinations and testing, is seen as the best way to stop the spread of the virus. Two months into the school year, many school districts are choosing to not participate in the state's testing program.

About 8% of all students and staff in public schools are undergoing regular testing through the state’s $15 million program, according to a Delaware Online/The News Journal analysis.

BACKGROUND: As school year nears, a small but vocal group of Delaware parents target school boards over mask mandate

Only nine of 19 public school districts are participating, a majority of which are in New Castle County. Only one district from Sussex County is testing students through the state program.

Earlier this month, the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was approved for children ages 5 to 11.

In Pennsylvania, a judge this week sided with opponents of the state's order to require masks in schools. Gov. Tom Wolf and his administration, the judge said, did not go through the correct process to enact the mandate.

This decision came after Wolf announced that he will lift a similar mandate on Jan. 17, 2022. A mask requirement will then be up to the individual school districts to decide.

Wolf's mandate resulted in similar backlash from some parents. It's unclear if the governor plans to appeal.

Contact Meredith Newman at (302) 256-2466 or at mnewman@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MereNewman.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware extends COVID-19 mask mandate in all schools to Feb. 8