Newark Schools End COVID Mandate, Masks ‘Optional’ Starting Monday

NEWARK, NJ — New Jersey’s largest public school district has lifted its mask mandate for students, staff and visitors.

As of Monday, masks are “optional” in the Newark Public School District. The decision was made “given our review of multiple indicators and with the advice of the Newark Health Department and our health care partners,” officials said.

The Newark Public School District was one of the last in New Jersey to have a mask mandate for students, staff and visitors, which it never dropped last year. Masks were required at all times when entering district facilities, locations and properties. Read More: NJ School Mask Mandate Ends, But Some Districts Stand Firm

That policy remained in effect as more than 38,000 students returned for a new school year last week. Read More: First Day Of School In Newark Includes Masks

Some had pointed to the current vaccination numbers in Newark as a reason to continue the mask mandate.

“If you’re upset that your child has to wear the mask, in the classroom, get them vaccinated,” John Abeigon, president of the Newark Teachers Union said last week. “The sooner we have a higher number of kids vaccinated, the sooner those masks can come down.”

According to the New Jersey Department of Health, here’s how many people have had at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine in Newark as of Sept. 7:

• All Ages: 84%
• 5 through 11: 38%
• 5 and over: 90%
• 12 through 17: 87%
• 12 and over: > 90%
• 18 and over: > 90%
• 30 and over: > 90%
• 65 and over: > 90%

The only change to those totals as of Sept. 12 was to the 12 through 17 age group, which increased one point to 88 percent.

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is rating Essex County’s overall COVID-19 community level at “Low” as of Monday, which does not include a masking recommendation for schools. The CDC rating system has been a big factor in many New Jersey district’s masking decisions.

Last week, Superintendent Roger León told Pix11.com that an end to the mask mandate was in sight. But some critics have been calling for an end to the mandate for months.

State Senate Republican Leader Steven Oroho recently used the mask mandate in Newark’s public schools as an example of a COVID mandate that he says forces educators to be "mask police." Read More: Gov. Murphy Heads To White House To Talk Teacher Shortage

Many Newark parents had called to keep masks in schools. But other families in the Brick City had pushed for an end to the mask mandate.

“My child cannot start yet another school year wearing masks when the majority of children throughout New Jersey and the country are returning to school with some kind of normalcy,” a local parent told Chalkbeat Newark.

• See related article: 'Better Late Than Never,' GOP Senator Says As NJ Lifts COVID Mandate

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