BOSTON (WHDH) - As students across Massachusetts prepare to head back to school, there’s a steep rise in coronavirus cases among children.
Nearly 3,000 COVID-19 cases were reported among people up to 19 years old on Aug. 11 compared to 255 cases the month before, according to the Department of Public Health.
The spread of the highly contagious delta variant has prompted a heated debate over masks.
Gov. Charlie Baker is facing more pressure to mandate masks in schools this fall.
The Mass. Medical Society tweeted, “It is imperative that Massachusetts teachers, staff, students and visitors start this school year with uniform masking requirements to protect them and those with whom they live and interact outside of the academic setting.”
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley also urged Baker to impose indoor mask mandates and require the vaccine for school, prison, and hospital employees.
In a letter, she wrote, “The science hasn’t changed: masks offer vital protection and help slow the spread of the coronavirus.”
Baker has pointed out that the Bay State has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country with more than 75 percent of adults fully vaccinated.
Tufts Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Shira Doron says mask mandates may not be necessary.
“Mask mandates haven’t changed the trajectory of the pandemic locally,” she said. “We still had a massive surge in the winter in the face of strong mask mandates.”
While students in Boston will be wearing face coverings in school this fall, Boston Mayor Kim Janey says she will follow the science to see if a mandate is needed in the city.
“We’ll continue to look to see if a mask mandate is the way to go,” she said.
Other school districts have also issued a mask mandate, including Woburn and Worcester.
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