Stamford Schools Target March 15 To Lift Mask Mandate

STAMFORD, CT — While districts around Connecticut can begin to lift mask mandates beginning March 1, the Stamford Public Schools District is eyeing March 15 as a potential target to change policy.

The Stamford Board of Education met Tuesday night in a special meeting to discuss masking in schools. Stamford Acting Health Director Jody Bishop-Pullan recommended March 15 as a comfortable date to lift the mandate. She cited downward trends in COVID-19 cases, infection rates and hospitalizations over the last few weeks.

"We're at a point now where we can start to consider making some adjustments and making some different kinds of decisions, all with the mind of keeping our children safe, keeping our schools open and everybody learning," Pullan said.

According to the latest data, Stamford is experiencing 16.8 cases per 100,000 residents on a seven day average, which is down from 334 a month ago. However, that number is still considered "high transmission," Pullan said.

Stamford schools recorded 68 new cases last week, also down from a high of 885 the first week in January.

Pullan and Dr. Henry Yoon, Stamford's medical advisor, said waiting until March 15 will allow COVID-19 numbers to continue to improve to more comfortable levels.

"What I'd like to see is some continued decrease or stability so that we can be more comfortable with it," Pullan said.

Pullan noted that while vaccine rates are high in Stamford, the lowest percentage for any age group is 5-11 year-olds at 42.3 percent. The rate for 12 to 17 year-olds is 72 percent.

The health officials also said they are waiting to receive guidance and information from the Connecticut Department of Health on how to proceed after Feb. 28.

State officials said this week they are in the process of providing public health guidance in advance of Feb. 28.

"Giving a little extra time beyond the 28th allows us to observe what effect [no masks] may have on other districts," added Yoon.

Pullan and Yoon said if the masking recommendations were purely clinically-based, masks would stay on for the remainder of the school year. However, they acknowledged that other factors have to be taken into consideration, such as impacts on students' education and social/emotional learning.

"We as educators had to have conversations with [the health professionals] about the fact that we need the masks off as soon as possible, as soon as they feel it may be safe," Superintendent of Schools Dr. Tamu Lucero added.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students and visitors of K-12 schools, regardless of their vaccination status. Should the district lift the mandate on March 15, the district would still encourage mask wearing.

Federal requirements also mandate that students must continue to wear masks on buses regardless of the changes to local policy.

"I think it does protect you should someone around you be infected," Pullan said on the efficacy of masks. "I think people don't know they're infected sometimes. We do know there are asymptomatic cases. I think it's good to protect the person who is wearing it, and then it's good as a source control for the person who may be infected."

The board is scheduled to meet again next week. Lucero said her administration and health officials will continue to keep an eye on the COVID-19 numbers, and she'll report back to the board if anything changes.

In a message to district families Wednesday, Lucero said officials analyze vaccination rates among students ages 5-11, 12 and up, as well as children under age 5 that are not eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine; downward trend positivity and case rate, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19; and quarantine and isolation requirements.

"I think we all want to end in the same place," Lucero said Tuesday. "I don't think there's one person on this call who does not want to see masks eventually come off. But we want to make sure we're listening to our health professionals and doing it in a safe way."