COVID-19 cases on the rise again in Wayland. What's happening at school?

Zane Razzaq, MetroWest Daily News
·2 min read

WAYLAND — Mandatory mask-wearing has returned to at least one local public school district.

Wayland Superintendent of Schools Omar Easy announced Sunday that masks would be required in the public schools "effective immediately" due to an uptick in COVID-19 cases.

Related: Natick "strongly encourages" wearing masks in schools

"All students and staff will be required to wear masks for (5 school days) in all of our buildings while indoors, except while eating or drinking," wrote Easy.

Sophomore Bella Stefancik, 16, said the shift was not too much of a surprise, as she had heard some chatter in the days before.

The superintendent of Wayland Public Schools began mandating that masks be worn in the schools this week.
The superintendent of Wayland Public Schools began mandating that masks be worn in the schools this week.

"I’m not too opposed to it. I think it’s OK. I don’t really mind too much. I’m kind of flexible," said Stefancik, as school let out on Monday afternoon.

Junior Noreen Javed, 16, said the move made sense.

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"I thought it was the right thing to do because we've had so many cases lately," she said.

May 5-11, Wayland Public Schools reported 161 new COVID-19 cases among students and 67 new cases among staff, according to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

In the week before, from April 28 to May 4, the district reported 50 new cases among students and 13 new cases among staff.

Since Sept. 13, the district has reported 978 cases among students and 187 cases among staff.

"Hopefully, this brings the cases down and we can get back to normal again," said Javeed.

Omar Easy
Omar Easy

The district will reassess its policy weekly, Easy said in his note. The mandate also requires that masks be worn on buses, including field trips. Masks are not required outdoors.

Previously, the School Committee voted to grant Easy the ability to amend COVID-19 protocols as needed.

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Wayland schools are the only local public district to require masks, although other superintendents have said they are keeping a close eye on cases.

During a Natick Board of Health meeting last week, Superintendent of Schools Anna Nolin told the board hat the district is "strongly encouraging" masks until a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases subsides. And if the trend continued, she said the district may reinstitute a mask mandate for group events, such as band concerts and plays.

Framingham Superintendent Robert Tremblay and Milford Superintendent Kevin McIntyre each confirmed an uptick in case counts but said their districts are not currently considering a change in mask policies.

“At this time, we are not projecting any changes to the current practice in Framingham for the remainder of this year or next year,” Tremblay said in a statement. “We will, of course, continue to monitor cases in Framingham together with the City's Department of Public Health and if changes are needed they will be communicated to our entire school community.”

Zane Razzaq writes about education. Reach her at 508-626-3919 or zrazzaq@wickedlocal.com. Follow her on Twitter @zanerazz.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Masks return to Wayland schools amid uptick in COVID-19 cases