The ruling by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Friday, December 10, 2021, that invalidated the Face Covering Order issued by the Acting Secretary of Health has created a handful of questions. Because of this, the District wants to clarify expectations prior to students, staff, and visitors returning to school tomorrow.
Currently, the Order from the Erie County Department of Health issued in August which required students, staff, and visitors to wear masks in school buildings remains in effect. Furthermore, masks are required on public transportation including school buses and vans operated by the District.
In addition, the District’s Health and Safety Plan states, “During times of substantial or high levels of community transmission or increasing trends in outbreaks, the District may require universal masking until data indicates a decline in transmission levels.” Since August 21, 2021, the counties that make up our school district have exhibited a high level of community transmission and our local zip codes have experienced over 100 new cases each week for the last six weeks.
Based on the information outlined above, our current procedures related to universal masking remain in place at this time.