Livingston Schools Undecided On Masks As Delta Variant Hits NJ

LIVINGSTON, NJ —Administrators in the Livingston Public School District are still mulling over questions surrounding masks and other reopening plans as the new school year nears.

As the delta variant spurs a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases across the country, federal officials over the weekend recommended the use of face masks in public. But while numbers continue to spike in New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy said that decision should reflect "local realities."

Speaking during a news conference Monday, Murphy said he's not backing down on his stance that schools need to return to a fully in-person, five-day a week format in the fall. And while the state is not mandating the use of masks among unvaccinated students, school districts can choose to go beyond what the state is recommending, he said.

• See related article: NJ Mask Mandates Guided By 'Local Realities,' Gov. Says
• See related article: Delta Variant Continues Spread Despite NJ Vaccination Compliance

Will students and staff in Livingston have to wear masks when they return to class in the fall? Will the delta variant play a role in the decision? It's still too early to tell, officials say.

"We have not yet made any decision regarding our mask protocols for the opening of the school year," Superintendent Matthew Block told Patch on Tuesday. "Guidance is evolving, and so are the circumstances surrounding the virus."

Block said that district administrators will begin consulting with physicians and other health professionals around mid-August to help develop procedures for face masks before school opens. And part of that will be tracking different permutations of the virus.

"We are certainly monitoring the current masking guidance and the circumstances around the pandemic, including the spread of the delta variant," Block said.

This article contains reporting by Anthony Bellano and Montana Samuels, Patch staff

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