City Of San Antonio: Metro Health Issues Health Directive Mandating Masks In Schools

Press release from the City of San Antonio:

August 10, 2021

CONTACT: For members of the media, please contact:
covid19media@sanantonio.gov

Laura Mayes, City of San Antonio (210) 207-1337
Michelle Vigil, City of San Antonio (210) 207-8172
Rudy Arispe, City of San Antonio (210) 438-2088

SAN ANTONIO (August 10, 2020) – Bexar County District Court Judge Toni Arteaga granted the City of San Antonio and Bexar County a temporary restraining order to prevent enforcement of the governor’s latest emergency order. The matter will be taken up for a full hearing on Monday, August 16, 2021.

San Antonio and Bexar County Health Authority Dr. Junda Woo issued a health directive for the upcoming school year. The directive applies to all public schools from pre-kindergarten through grade 12th effective immediately. City Manager Erik Walsh also announced that effective Wednesday, August 11, 2021, all City facilities will require the use of masks for both staff and visitors.

Universal indoor masking
Schools shall follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for universal indoor masking and require all students (age 2 and older), staff, teachers, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status, to wear a face mask indoors.

CDC Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools.

Close contacts
Schools shall notify the student’s parents or guardians when the school learns that a student was in close contact, as defined by the CDC, with a COVID-19 positive individual on campus or during a school-related event.

Unvaccinated individuals who are determined to be in close contact with a COVID-19 positive person shall quarantine for 14 days after their last contact with a person who has COVID-19, as recommended by the CDC. Students, staff, teachers, and visitors shall remain off campus and not attend any school-sponsored events during their quarantine period.

CDC Guidance for When to Quarantine.

Fully vaccinated individuals should get tested three to five days after their exposure even if they don’t have symptoms and wear a mask in indoor public spaces for 14 days. Fully vaccinated individuals need not quarantine.

“The pandemic has shown us the importance of in-person learning, but with the highly contagious delta variant now widespread in San Antonio, schools need every tool at their disposal to stay open safely. Those tools include universal masking,” said Dr. Junda Woo. “We must protect those who are still not eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, which includes all children under age 12, and the unvaccinated members of their households.”

This press release was produced by the City of San Antonio. The views expressed here are the author’s own.