NEWINGTON, Conn. — Newington Public Schools announced Tuesday that the district will not keep its mask mandate in schools beginning Feb. 28 and make face coverings optional.
"Over the past week, the General Assembly convened and discussed House Bill 5047. The House passed the bill last week and the Senate passed the bill yesterday. While the Department of Public Health or Commissioner of Education have the authority to reinstate the statewide mask mandate in schools, they are unlikely to do so at this time," said Superintendent of Schools Maureen Brummett.
While there is no longer a statewide mask mandate, Gov. Ned Lamont had said the power is within individual school districts going forward.
"It will be up to the superintendents of schools and mayors to make that election themselves. Because every town is different, every town has its certain different sense of what the vaccination is, what the risks are," Lamont said.
In a letter to Newington families, Brummett said she met with Board Chair Dr. Bruce Fletcher and other Board of Education members and decided they will not extend the mandate beyond February at this time.
"It is important to note that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) still recommends (but does not mandate) that masks be worn in public schools. Therefore none of these upcoming changes preclude any student or staff member from continuing to wear a mask in school. In fact, many individuals have already told me they plan to do so," said Brummett.
Mask wearing on school buses remains a federal mandate and masks will continue to be required on school buses in the district, Brummett said.
Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
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