The school board agreed to the masking and reporting protocols we demanded. It has been a long and draining fight but our push for safer classrooms finally paid off. Stay watchful as we ensure these policies are actually followed in the coming weeks.
August 2, 2021
Final supporters
As medical professionals currently practicing or residing within Bucks County, we, the below signed, recommend mandatory masking of all children under age 12 for the 2021-22 school year, until this population is granted access to COVID-19 vaccination. In addition, it is critical to continue data collection for COVID cases by including case reporting and contact notification in health and safety plans.
The American Academy of Pediatrics continues to recommend mask wearing by children and staff in schools, childcare programs and camps until the COVID-19 vaccine is available for children and uptake in the pediatric population is high enough to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2. This is similar to CDC recommendations for unvaccinated persons in indoor settings.
Though the public masking mandate expired in Pennsylvania as of June 28, acting Health Secretary Alison Beam stated upon its expiration, "Masks will be required, regardless of vaccination status, in risky places such as nursing homes and schools.”
While cases may be currently low, there is an anticipated rise when children return to school and indoor activities. The emergence of highly transmissible and more virulent strains, like the delta variant, makes active risk mitigation strategies like mask wearing and disease surveillance imperative in order to protect the health and safety of our young children.
Updates
July 22, 2021
Reaching this point has been an exhausting battle but seeing this level of professional alignment keeps me going. It is clear that we are not the only ones worried about the safety of our classrooms. I am physically drained by this process yet I have no intention of walking away now.
Reached 100 supporters
July 22, 2021
47 Comments
As a therapist and mother of 4 children in the pennsbury school district, I fully support this.
Psychiatrist - experienced with managing COVID spread in long-term hospitalized psychiatric patients. Don’t be foolish. Of course these kids should be wearing masks if they are not vaccinated.
As a pediatric RN, I feel this is a necessary step in addition to spacing out the students to lower rates of transmission.
The Delta variant is so much more transmissible than anything we’ve seen. Please protect our children under 12 as well as those already vaccinated as we are seeing an uptick in cases. We already know that closed indoor settings for a prolonged period of time are the most risky. Why take that risk with our future?
As a therapist who works in early intervention- I am deeply concerned over the decision to make masking optional, particularly for our elementary school students who cannot be vaccinated at this time. We KNOW that delta is spreading rapidly and that our unvaccinated children are vulnerable. It is deeply irresponsible to drop mask mandates in our schools. At the very least- each grade should offer a mask-required classroom so that parents may choose to keep their children safe while sending them to school.
Lehigh Valley Hospital
Masks mandatory for all schools
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The school board agreed to the masking and reporting protocols we demanded. It has been a long and draining fight but our push for safer classrooms finally paid off. Stay watchful as we ensure these policies are actually followed in the coming weeks.
August 2, 2021
Final supporters
As medical professionals currently practicing or residing within Bucks County, we, the below signed, recommend mandatory masking of all children under age 12 for the 2021-22 school year, until this population is granted access to COVID-19 vaccination. In addition, it is critical to continue data collection for COVID cases by including case reporting and contact notification in health and safety plans.
The American Academy of Pediatrics continues to recommend mask wearing by children and staff in schools, childcare programs and camps until the COVID-19 vaccine is available for children and uptake in the pediatric population is high enough to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2. This is similar to CDC recommendations for unvaccinated persons in indoor settings.
Though the public masking mandate expired in Pennsylvania as of June 28, acting Health Secretary Alison Beam stated upon its expiration, "Masks will be required, regardless of vaccination status, in risky places such as nursing homes and schools.”
While cases may be currently low, there is an anticipated rise when children return to school and indoor activities. The emergence of highly transmissible and more virulent strains, like the delta variant, makes active risk mitigation strategies like mask wearing and disease surveillance imperative in order to protect the health and safety of our young children.
Updates
July 22, 2021
Reaching this point has been an exhausting battle but seeing this level of professional alignment keeps me going. It is clear that we are not the only ones worried about the safety of our classrooms. I am physically drained by this process yet I have no intention of walking away now.
Reached 100 supporters
July 22, 2021
47 Comments
Immunologist Vaccination works. Until COVID vaccines are available to all members of our school communities, all students, faculty, and staff should be masked, per the guidance of the CDC and AAP.
As a therapist and mother of 4 children in the pennsbury school district, I fully support this.
Psychiatrist - experienced with managing COVID spread in long-term hospitalized psychiatric patients. Don’t be foolish. Of course these kids should be wearing masks if they are not vaccinated.
As a pediatric RN, I feel this is a necessary step in addition to spacing out the students to lower rates of transmission.
The Delta variant is so much more transmissible than anything we’ve seen. Please protect our children under 12 as well as those already vaccinated as we are seeing an uptick in cases. We already know that closed indoor settings for a prolonged period of time are the most risky. Why take that risk with our future?
As a therapist who works in early intervention- I am deeply concerned over the decision to make masking optional, particularly for our elementary school students who cannot be vaccinated at this time. We KNOW that delta is spreading rapidly and that our unvaccinated children are vulnerable. It is deeply irresponsible to drop mask mandates in our schools. At the very least- each grade should offer a mask-required classroom so that parents may choose to keep their children safe while sending them to school.
Lehigh Valley Hospital
Masks mandatory for all schools
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Immunologist Vaccination works. Until COVID vaccines are available to all members of our school communities, all students, faculty, and staff should be masked, per the guidance of the CDC and AAP.