Public schools in Maryland may get some clarity on the state’s next steps for masking on Wednesday afternoon.
The Maryland State Board of Education and the Maryland State Department of Education will review the state’s emergency school mask requirement during a special virtual meeting at 1 p.m. on Dec. 1.
Those interested in watching the meeting can do so online.
Public input and current public health metrics will be discussed as the state determines which course of action it will take. The emergency regulation went into effect on Sept. 14 and is set to expire by Feb. 25, 2022.
This comes after a mid-November special meeting where the Board of Education heard hours of testimony from parents, county school board officials from across the state, and medical professionals on the merits and the objections to requiring masks be worn in schools.
Board President Clarence Crawford said by the meeting’s end that he was “disappointed that we didn’t get a silver bullet” from the panels of experts, who were divided about the need for students to wear masks.
According to WTOP’s coronavirus data set, as of Nov. 30, Maryland has a seven-day average of 936 cases, a seven-day average of 615 people hospitalized from COVID-19 and a seven-day average of nine deaths.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classifies Maryland as a state with High community transmission.
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Looking for more information? D.C., Maryland and Virginia are each releasing more data every day. Visit their official sites here: Virginia | Maryland | D.C.
