School Mask Mandates: Students In Neighboring Districts Have Different Rules
(CBS4) -- The Colorado Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics called Monday for a statewide mask mandate for school students, calling out Gov. Jared Polis, the state health department's executive director, and local public health directors.
"Unfortunately, with the rise of the Delta variant and how contagious it is, our main concern is that kids be able to stay in school sustainably," said Dr. Rusha Lev, a pediatrician with Denver Health Medical Center and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Pointing to vaccination as protection, Dr. Lev addressed the variations in vaccination rates even within certain communities as an indication of the need for masking the Centers For Disease Control recommended.
"If we can keep kids masked at all levels, and teachers, while they're sitting right next to each other in school buildings. During the fall when we expect this virus to surge, our hope is that it keeps kids from spreading the virus and it keeps them in school learning where they need to be."
Hospitalizations for children have reached an all-time pandemic high. The Delta variant is proving more infectious say experts and children under 12 are yet to even be able to get vaccinated.
Only feet apart along the Denver – Aurora line, the rules right now are set to be different for neighborhoods as children head back to school. In Denver, students, visitors and staff will be required to wear masks regardless of vaccination status. In Aurora, masks will be optional for vaccinated or unvaccinated staff and students will be encouraged to wear masks.
"If you gotta wear them, you've got to wear them. If not, then I'm fine with not wearing them," said Roberto Garcia who helps care for his two nephews, 10-year-old Jose and 11-year-old Damien. "They don't require it, I'm not going to make them."
But a few blocks away in Denver, Cheryl Schwartz, a health educator, said her 11-year-old son would be wearing a mask no matter the requirement. He wants to, she says, as she describes how he still wears a mask even on the field while be plays competitive soccer.
"He's very emotionally intelligent and he knows that he needs to protect himself. I'm immunocompromised, he wants to protect me. And also, he really cares about his friends."
Dr. Lev indicates there's good reason to believe the virus will easily be shared in schools.
"Put a bunch of kids into a classroom regardless of how well ventilated it is, regardless of the distancing, they're going to be sitting together for eight hours a day breathing on each other and spreading germs. That's what kids have always done in classrooms."
The Academy maintains keeping children in school is better than more learning at home.
"We need people to go back to work, you need kids to go back to school. It's not normal. No one is pretending this is normal. No one is pretending that wearing a mask is our favorite thing to do."
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said in an email reply: "We appreciate the letter and will review it."
CBS4 also got a reply from Tri-County Health. The department's area includes several school districts with different rules on masks.
"We are supportive of the recommendations made by the national AAP and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention several weeks ago that universal masking in schools is a prudent prevention strategy to optimize safe in-school learning during these times of rising case rates due to the Delta variant," TCH officials stated.
"Having these recommendations now made by the local physicians who are the most expert in the health and well-being of children accentuates their relevance for Colorado and our communities. We are hopeful that the statement will encourage our state leaders to take statewide action and will be discussing with our Board of Health steps that may be appropriate for us to take at the local level."
