Fayette County enacts mask mandate for all schools

Fayette County Public Schools announced Monday that face coverings will now be required in all its schools and offices through Sept. 17. The county had been deciding mask policies on a school-by-school basis, but said the new requirement was implemented because COVID-19 cases among students and staff continue to rise. Sixteen of the 24 schools had already been put on short-term masking based on their case totals. A memo to parents said that the mask mandate would be reviewed once the virus positivity rate drops below 1% of the school population for two consecutive weeks.

Because of the increased masking, Fayette will modify its quarantine policy starting Aug. 31 to allow students who have had close exposure to remain in attendance “as long as they are not having symptoms of COVID-19.” The Board of Education heard three hours of public comment from nearly 60 individuals at its Monday night meeting, mostly from parents who opposed the mask mandate.