Decision Coming On Mask Mandate From Morris School District

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Once March 7 arrives, mask regulations become up to New Jersey's school districts. But the Morris School District will take time to decide what to do for when that date arrives.

New Jersey will drop its statewide mask mandate for K-12 schools, effective March 7, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday. But one reason he set the date for a month from now, rather than today, was to give school districts time to figure out adjustments. The New Jersey Department of Health also plans to send updated health guidance to schools.

Read more: Schools Can Extend Mask Mandate, But NJ Requirement Ends In March

Morris school leaders want to discuss the matter with local health officials, according to Dr. Jennifer van Frank, a spokesperson for the school district.

"We will continue to follow the recommendations of our local health department, but have yet to discuss this matter with them," van Frank told Patch on Monday afternoon. "We will certainly inform our district community once a direction forward has been collaboratively established."

Locally, COVID-19 metrics continue to trend in a good direction. The Morris School District reported 218 active cases and 148 people under active quarantine upon Jan. 3's return from winter break. The district had 26 active cases and 33 people quarantining as of Tuesday, according to its latest COVID-19 dashboard.

During the omicron-variant surge, Morris County hit a pandemic high of 1,775 new daily cases Jan. 7, according to the New Jersey Department of Health. But cases have steadily declined since, matching a statewide trend. Morris County averaged 122.9 infections per day during the past week, according to the state health department.

Thanks for reading. Have a news tip? Email josh.bakan@patch.com. Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter and follow the Morristown Patch Facebook page.