Southern Boone Elementary to require masks due to COVID-19 cases, quarantines

September 17, 2021 at 4:05 a.m. | Updated September 17, 2021 at 10:22 a.m.

FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021 file photo, a state legislator adjusts her face masks while asking a question at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. A government study released on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, finds that wearing two masks can better than one, in protecting against coronavirus infection. But health officials are stopping short of recommending that everyone double-up. “The first challenge is to get as many as people as possible masking. And then for those that do mask, to help them get the best benefit out of that mask," said Dr. John Brooks of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021 file photo, a state legislator adjusts her face masks while asking a question at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. A government study released on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, finds that wearing two masks can better than one, in protecting against coronavirus infection. But health officials are stopping short of recommending that everyone double-up. “The first challenge is to get as many as people as possible masking. And then for those that do mask, to help them get the best benefit out of that mask," said Dr. John Brooks of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Southern Boone Elementary School in Ashland will require masks for at least two weeks due to a high number of COVID-19 cases and quarantines.

The mask mandate went into effect today because 15 percent of the elementary school's population has been out of school due to COVID-19 cases and quarantines, according to a message the district sent to elementary parents Thursday.

As of Thursday, the elementary school had nine COVID-19 cases among students and two among staff, resulting in 119 quarantines for those who were identified as close contacts - 117 students and two staff members.

The district will reevaluate the mask requirement Sept. 30. If the number of positive cases and quarantines is fewer than 81 at the elementary school by then, the mask requirement will end. If the number is 81 or higher, the mask requirements will continue for another two weeks until Oct. 14.

This procedure will continue every two weeks until the case rate data falls below this threshold.

This policy is part of the district's COVID-19 plan the Southern Boone Board of Education approved in August.

The district is continuing to encourage masks at the primary, middle and high school level, but they are not required at this time.

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