BOSTON (WHDH) - With just days left in the school year, Boston Public Schools officials announced they will be lifting the mask mandate on Monday.
Dr. Shira Doron, an infectious disease specialist at Tufts Medical Center, said she is not sure why it took Boston so long to get to this point.
“I think it’s important actually to end the year on this note,” she said. “Why would children, who are the lowest risk, be the last ones to be allowed to take their masks off?”
Dr. Doron said that with a 75% prior rate of infection in school children plus the ability for them to get vaccinated, most school children are protected by their immunity.
When it comes to lifting mask mandates, BPS lagged many other districts in the state. City officials said the decision was made after a two-week decline in case rates and hospital admissions across the city.
“Grateful we’re at a moment now where we can move to an optional policy, and we will stay on top of it in the months to come,” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said.
Although masking is no longer mandated, the district said it will still recommend masks for anyone who isn’t vaccinated or for students and staff who live with someone who is at high risk for severe COVID-19.
School officials are also urging anyone who is experiencing symptoms to mask up as they follow the data.
“We’ll continue to monitor all the numbers very closely,” Wu said. “We will have a tailored approach into summer school and the next school year.”
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