During a news conference today, Gov. Ned Lamont said that students in K-12 will be required to wear masks for at least the first month of the new school year, continuing his executive order from last year, which is set to expire with the rest of his special executive orders on September 30.
“That’s what we got to do. We did it well last fall, we’re going to do it again this fall and show the rest of the country we know how to do it safely,” said Lamont.
The governor said he has seen problems in southern states where students are not wearing masks and have been forced to quarantine, in some cases, just days after returning to school.
“I want you safe in that classroom, and I want you in that classroom,” Lamont said.
“We know that the best learning happens when students are with their teachers in their classrooms,” said CEA President Kate Dias, adding, “As the delta variant continues to spread, safety must remain a top priority in our schools, where we have large populations of unvaccinated students. The governor understands this and has made the right call to require masks as we return to all in-person classes to keep everyone in our school communities safe and to ensure schools remain open.”
The news comes a month after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that everyone in K-12 schools remain fully masked indoors this fall.
Lawmakers are set to meet next month to determine whether to further extend the governor’s executive powers.
