Masks Return In Wayland Schools As COVID-19 Cases Spike

WAYLAND, MA — In a bid to reduce coronavirus cases in schools, Wayland Public Schools will bring back a mask mandate for this week, according to school officials.

All Wayland students and staff will be required to wear masks at all times — except while eating or drinking — for five days beginning Monday, Superintendent Omar Easy said in a letter to parents over the weekend.

Wayland documented 161 COVID-19 cases in students and 27 cases in staff between May 5 and May 11, according to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Massachusetts is seeing a widespread uptick in coronavirus cases due to the omicron BA.2 subvariant. All but three counties in the state are now at "high" risk of coronavirus transmission, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Although mask mandates have been lifted statewide, the CDC recommends anyone living in a high transmission community to wear masks indoors, get vaccinated and boosted and take a coronavirus test if you have symptoms.