By The Talon
The district’s Re-Entry Team met this week and began to look at opportunities for reductions in some of the COVID mitigation measures that are currently in place in our schools, according to a communication from Michael B. Messore III, Superintendent, Barrington Public Schools, sent to all Barrington staff, families, students, and community members on Wednesday, March 16.
Two immediate changes were made based on available data about the significantly lower risk of transmission outside: masks will be optional for any outdoor activity, including recess, lunch, physical education, or outdoor breaks; and contact tracing will not be performed for recess, breaks, physical education, or lunch that occur outdoors.
This announcement precedes the date when the statewide public schools mask mandate will be lifted by Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee on Friday, March 4 when districts will be allowed to develop and implement practices and policies around masking and connected procedures such as contact tracing.
Additionally, Mr. Messore wrote, the Re-Entry Team has made the following recommendations to be considered as of March 4 using metrics that will be shared with the entire community:
Given these yet to be disclosed metrics, there may be opportunities for schools moving to a “Masks Recommended but Optional” status. The team will develop and share a decision chart based on various metrics, including infection rates by school, and schools who fall into low infection zones, as noted in the metrics-based decision-chart, will be able to allow for masks recommended but optional.
Furthermore, given these metrics, the team has recommended that “Mandatory Mask Wearing” continue and be required as follows: on all buses and public transportation in accordance with state and federal guidelines and for close contacts under a variety of individual circumstances based on the individual’s status of vaccination or booster and location of the contact.
Finally, Mr. Messore communicated that the committee recommended the “Reduction of COVID Positive Quarantine for Students” under a variety of individual circumstances based on the individual’s testing and health status.
According to Mr. Messore, the team will reconvene before March 4 to adjust protocols related to contact tracing, testing, and distancing. And, based on projections, the team feels relatively confident that “Masks Recommended But Optional” will be the standard protocol for the foreseeable future once the community and school rates are lower.
“It is important to note that no final decisions have been made,” Mr. Messore told The Talon, “as we are awaiting updated guidance from RIDOH (Rhode Island Department of Public Health) tomorrow and we have a follow-up Re-EntryTask force meeting this afternoon” (Thursday, February 17).