As Schools Drop Mask Requirements, Provincetown and Truro Remain Cautious

PROVINCETOWN – Though more towns and schools relax indoor face covering mandates in light of declining COVID-19 cases, some are taking a more cautious approach.

School committee members for both Provincetown and Truro have said that they will wait on rescinding mask requirements until their March meetings—and post-February school vacation.

Other districts across the region, including Falmouth, recently voted to drop mandates in accordance with relaxing state guidance. 

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recently said that it would not extend its indoor mask requirement for all public schools past February 28, letting the mandate time-out after several extensions.

With the latest data figures from the state showing steady declines in COVID-19 positivity rates down below the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s 5 percent outbreak mark, and state vaccination rates among the best in the nation, officials including Governor Charlie Baker said it is time to return a “sense of normalcy” to students’ lives. 

In Falmouth, school committee officials said that masking would be left up to families’ discretion.

The move echoes similar remarks from Harwich Board of Health members, who said that it would be up to residents to decide what guidance they follow going forward as the town dropped its indoor mask mandate for town buildings.

About Grady Culhane

Grady Culhane is a Cape Cod native from Eastham. He studied media communications at Cape Cod Community College and joined the CapeCod.com News Center in 2019.



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