CT Officials Detail Gov. Lamont's School Mask Mandate Proposal

CONNECTICUT — State legislators met with members of Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration Tuesday to discuss his proposal to turn over school mask mandate authority to local officials.

Lamont’s emergency powers expire Feb. 15. He urged legislators Monday to extend the statewide school mask mandate until the end of the month and then give local officials authority to decide.

Lamont proposed the Feb. 28 expiration date because coronavirus metrics are improving, but they are still at somewhat concerning levels, Chief Operating Officer Josh Geballe said. Secondly, many schools either have part of or the entire preceding week off for President’s Day.

February is typically a month when respiratory viruses are still in wide circulation, Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Manisha Juthani said. The end of February will also give DPH and other state agencies time to develop guidance for local officials.

The hearing started around 9 a.m. and was still going as of 2:45 p.m. Many members of the public signed up to virtually voice their opinions to legislators.

Rep. William Petit (R-New Britain) asked about the balance of mask use in children between limiting disease and potential negative impacts on social and emotional and verbal development. He added that he will likely have his 8-year-old son continue to wear a mask, regardless of his school’s mandate status, but decisions may vary for other parents.

Mask mandates in schools have been a balancing act, but the priority has been to keep schools open to the greatest extent possible, Juthani said.

“As the prevalence of disease goes down, the risk of school closure will go down if there are no masks,” she said. “Now having said that, this you know is going to be a local decision because you have to be able to look at what’s happening in your community at large.”

It’s been extremely rare for vaccinated children admitted to the hospital with a COVID-19 infection to have severe disease, Juthani said.

Children 5 and older are eligible for a vaccine, but there currently isn’t one approved for younger children. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said Tuesday he expects the Food and Drug Administration will authorize his company’s vaccine under a fast-track process, according to CNBC.

DPH’s guidance for unvaccinated children, including those under 5 will remain the same, Juthani said. Mask use is the safest way for unvaccinated children to be in an early childcare setting.

“The difference is [mask use] will not be a mandate and operators will have the decision-making ability for what will happen in their facilities,” she said about Lamont’s proposal.