Fayette County enacts mask requirements at 11 schools

Fayette County has enacted temporary mask mandates at 11 of its 24 schools, due to rising COVID-19 rates among students and staff. Spokesperson Melinda Berry-Dreisbach said Tuesday that face coverings are currently required at McIntosh High, Flat Rock and Bennett’s Mill Middle and Huddleston, Kedron, Robert J. Burch, Spring Hill, Cleveland, Crabapple Lane, Inman and Sara Harp Minter elementary schools for a period of 10 days. The county’s Aug. 13 case report, posted at www.fcboe.org, tallied 16 staff and 157 students testing positive, with another two staff members and 701 students quarantined.

Berry-Dreisbach said the masking policies are being enacted on a school-by-school basis. However, all school employees, county office staff and school visitors must wear face coverings at least through Sept. 17. “We are closely monitoring the number of cases at each school, and we will continue the mandates if needed,” she said.