Masks will be optional for summer and fall in Alachua County Public Schools

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

Alachua County Public Schools has posted new mask guidelines on their site.

“Based on the latest COVID-19 figures in our community and the recommendations of medical experts from the University of Florida and the Alachua County Health Department, Alachua County Public Schools is making the following changes to our masking and other COVID protocols:  

• For the rest of this school year, masks will not be required outdoors on our campuses for students or adults. We will continue to encourage social distancing as much as possible.  Masks will still be required indoors (except when eating and drinking) and on our school buses, except for those with an exemption.
• Temperature checks will not be required on our campuses for students or adults.
• Masks will be optional on our campuses (indoors and outdoors) for our summer programs, unless there is a significant spike in cases or other health/safety issues. We will continue to consult our medical experts, who review this information regularly.
• Masks will be optional on our campuses (indoors and outdoors) for the 2021-22 school year, again depending on the course of the pandemic locally and based on the advice of our medical experts.

“We will keep you informed of any additional changes to our COVID protocols and procedures in the future. We appreciate the ongoing efforts of our healthcare professionals, the outstanding work of our teachers and staff, and the support of our students and families during the pandemic, which has helped limit the spread of COVID-19 in our schools and the community.”