Masks Will Be Optional On Greenwich Public School Buses: GPS

GREENWICH, CT — Beginning on Tuesday, masks within Greenwich public schools will be optional. Face coverings will also be optional on school buses, according to an update from Superintendent of Greenwich Public Schools Dr. Toni Jones and the district's head of nursing, Mary Keller.

Previously, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines required masks on buses regardless of what a school district decided on mask policy, but they changed course last Friday.

"Late Friday afternoon, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) exercised its enforcement discretion to not require that individuals wear masks on buses or vans operated by public or private school systems," Jones and Keller said in a letter to families on Sunday. "Therefore, mask wearing will also be optional on our school buses starting on Tuesday."

Jones and Keller also gave an update on the quarantine guidelines for unvaccinated people who might have been exposed to COVID-19:

• Five-day quarantine/with symptoms: An unvaccinated student or staff member who has had an exposure and has symptoms should test between day 1-3 after symptoms start and quarantine for five days, returning on day 6, with resolving symptoms and fever free for 24 hours, and are able to wear a well fitting mask for an additional five days.
• Five-day quarantine/asymptomatic: An unvaccinated student or staff member who has had an exposure and has no symptoms should stay home for five days, test on day 3 and again 24 hours later, but no more than 48 hours, and if negative results, may return on day 6. Masking is recommended.
• If symptoms should occur at any point during the five days, the student or staff member should immediately test and restart the quarantine.
• There are no changes for those that are vaccinated - they are not required to quarantine.

The CDC says that individuals that test positive can return on day 6 if there is resolution of symptoms, but must wear a mask for an additional five days covering the full contagious period of the virus of 10 days.