Boston Public Schools Will Not Lift Mask Mandate On Feb. 28: Wu

BOSTON — A day after Gov. Charlie Baker said he will lift the statewide school mask mandate at the end of the month, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu confirms she has no plans to lift the school mask mandate for Boston Public Schools on Feb. 28.

During a news conference Wednesday, Baker said masks will become optional across the state after Feb. 28 unless a particular district chooses otherwise. On Thursday, Mayor Wu said Boston won't be immediately removing the face coverings at the end of the month.

As the Feb. 28 date approaches, Wu said she believes it's crucial to keep the mask mandate in play as students leave and come back from school vacation in case of a possible surge in COVID-19 cases.

"Our young people don't have the luxury of being irresponsible, or even carefree," Wu said in a tweet Thursday morning. "They're eager learners and experienced organizers. They see no other choice but to clean up after generations of adults before — for climate, equity, and yes, public health right now."

After Baker's press conference on Wednesday, Wu met with a group of high school students from BPS, asking them to raise their hands if they believe the city should keep its mask requirement after Feb. 28, and almost all of them did, Wu shared in a tweet Wednesday night, showcasing the fact that some students do not feel ready to break free of the facial coverings yet.

The students are members of the Mayor's Youth Council, which is a group of about 70 high schoolers from across the city who are looking for civic engagement, the Boston Globe reported.

Baker and the Department of Education and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley said the decision to drop the mandate was made in conjunction with infectious disease experts, the Department of Public Health, and other medical experts.

"There is a consequence at this point to keeping kids in masks," Baker said. "And we think we should move beyond that."

More than 40 schools have been given permission to drop the mandate after they reached the 80% vaccination rate required to do so.

The state will also lift mask mandates on early childhood programs, however, students must remain masked up on school buses since that is a federal guideline.

This article originally appeared on the Boston Patch