The Davidson County Schools Board of Education has voted in favor of mandatory masking for students and staff. The policy reversal was unpopular within the community, but it comes as the number of quarantines has risen dramatically after just one week of school.
Monday's school board meeting was highly contentious with chants of “No More Masks,” and sheriff deputies were called upon to escort several people away. But after logging nearly 80 positive COVID-19 cases among students and faculty within a four-day period, board members argued that time spent contact tracing and replacing quarantined staff was threatening their ability to keep schools open.
Davidson County Executive Director of Communications Tabitha Broadway says the new measure should help stem the tide.
“I think we expect to exclude or quarantine fewer staff and students who have been identified as close contacts to confirmed positive individuals while on school grounds,” says Broadway.
Currently, state guidelines for schools with universal masking do not require quarantining if both parties were wearing masks.