Paterson schools reinstate mask mandate amid uptick in COVID, flu and RSV
As COVID cases rise after holiday get-togethers, creating a whirlwind of illness coupled with flu season and respiratory syncytial virus (commonly referred to as RSV), Paterson schools have reinstated a mask mandate for students, staff and faculty with an end date yet to be determined.
Beginning on Jan. 3, when the city's schools reopen after winter break, all students, staff, faculty and visitors at any of Paterson's public school buildings will be required to wear surgical-style, N95 or cloth masks while in the buildings, other than while eating, drinking or taking medication, according to a notice sent to parents on Dec. 22 by Superintendent of Schools Eileen Shafer.
Masks that feature vents do not meet the renewed requirements, said Paul Brubaker, a spokesperson for the district.
Should a student, employee or visitor fail to bring a protective mask, one will be provided, the notice said.
District officials acknowledged that while some parents may find relief in the policy, others may be frustrated by the return of stricter guidelines, and they said the decision to restore the mandate was guided by the advice of Paterson’s director of health, Dr. Paul Persaud.
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The policy will remain in effect as officials review transmission rates and will once again be repealed as numbers decline, according to Shafer's notice. She noted that Passaic County currently has a high transmission rate — a calculation of new cases and positive test results over the past seven days per 100,000 residents, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
More than 100 new cases compounded by more than 10% positive tests per 100,000 residents in both metrics is considered high under the CDC's rubric of "low," "moderate," "substantial" and "high."
Statewide, the New Jersey Health Department reported Thursday a transmission rate of 1.08.
COVID cases and hospitalizations have seen an uptick across the state since Thanksgiving, and they continued to rise after the December holidays, a conclusion foreseen by many health experts, who predicted the escalation would continue after indoor gatherings among friends and family, as well as the widespread air travel that accompanies the season.
Daily reported cases in New Jersey increased from about 1,400 in mid-November, according to state data, and have continued to vary in an upward trend, currently varying below and above 2,000 new cases by a few hundred day-to-day.
Although the district made its decision with input from Paterson's health department, Mayor Andre Sayegh said Thursday that the city government has not revived the same requirement for its own offices and buildings.
"We want to protect all of our people, but particularly our children," he said.
However, the city is set to officially announce the rollout of a mobile health truck that will offer screenings and vaccinations for COVID and the flu, as well as testing for HIV and a slew of chronic diseases, Sayegh said.
The truck, which will offer its services to Paterson's residents for free, debuts on Jan. 5 outside Fire Department headquarters at 300 McBride Ave.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Paterson schools reinstate mask mandate amid uptick in COVID
