SDUSD mask policy may change May 25
The San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) sent a message to parents via email the evening of May 23 explaining that the indoor mask mandate might be reinstituted for certain schools within the district, or possibly for all schools within the district, on Wednesday, May 25. The possibility of masks being required for all students, faculty and staff indoors at school facilities would be in effect based on figures showing a large increase of COVID-19 cases in San Diego County on a daily basis. SDUSD has specific risk level parameters for cases that, if reached, would initiate the mask requirements.
See the message from SDUSD below to learn more:
Over the past several weeks there has been a steady increase in COVID-19 cases in our schools, our local communities in San Diego County, and across our country as a whole. While this is not the rapid surge we saw in January, it is still a concern and a trend that we expect to continue.
In an effort to be prepared for any spread in our schools, San Diego Unified is adopting the following parameters for increasing our mitigation strategies if necessary.
Effective Wednesday, May 25, 2022, indoor masking may return to required status for individual schools and/or the District if the following risk levels are reached. This would apply to the remainder of the 2021-22 school year and 2022 summer school.
- Individual schools will resume required masking indoors for a minimum of a 14-day period, when:
- Within the past 14 days, at least three outbreaks (three or more cases in an individual classroom or stable group constitutes one outbreak) have occurred in the school, AND more than 5% of the school population (students and staff) is infected. OR,
- In a 3 consecutive-day span, 10% or more of the student population is absent each day due to illness. Note this metric will not apply to 2022 summer school.
- Districtwide, all schools and district sites will return to required indoor masking when San Diego County is in the High Level (orange) under CDC Community Level.
Families will be notified if their school(s) or the District reach these levels for masks to be required indoors.
To learn more about the safety mitigation strategies in place or to check the COVID-19 case rates at your school, visit the COVID-19 Information page.
Sincerely,
San Diego Unified School District