Face masks mandatory in Roanoke City Schools during first nine school weeks following CDC guidance

Roanoke, Virginia – The mitigation strategies for the 2021-22 school year in connection to COVID-19 have been released with a statement by Roanoke City Schools.
Face masks will be mandatory starting Monday, August 9, and in the following nine school weeks for all staff, faculty and students, or until the district chooses to change its plan.
The district says that air purification and filtration systems have been installed. Officials are encouraging everyone who has not received Covid-19 vaccine yet to do it as quickly as possible.
Below you can find the full statement:
“The CDC recently updated guidance for schools for the 2021-2022 school year to now recommend universal masking of students and staff, regardless of vaccination status. In accordance with this new guidance, as well as Senate Bill 1303 and the Virginia Department of Health’s recommendations, face coverings will be required for all Roanoke City Public Schools students and staff regardless of vaccination status, where medically and developmentally appropriate. This requirement will be effective beginning Monday, August 9th and through the first nine weeks of school or until further notice.
When exercising, eating, or when outdoors, face coverings will not be required. RCPS will continue to follow health mitigation strategies, including handwashing, use of hand sanitizing stations, and social distancing when possible. We have also invested in air purification and filtration systems, and we will continue to engage in contract tracing. We encourage anyone in our RCPS family who meets the age requirement for vaccinations to please get vaccinated if you can do so safely.
To protect in-person learning, safety-optimized instruction must be prioritized. We will do this by continuing to follow our health mitigation strategies, carefully considering events and how we gather safely, and by remaining flexible and diligent.
We thank our School Board, and we also thank our Roanoke City Public Schools family and the community, for their continued support.
For more information on the 2021-2022 school year, visit https://www.rcps.info/news/what_s_new/2021-2022_school_year_information“