the Boston Globe’s Newton Reports reports that the Newton Public Schools Dept is encouraging students to wear face masks in school over the coming weeks. This advice comes in the face of rising numbers of Covid, flu, and respiratory virus infections in the Greater Boston area as well as rising student and teacher absences in Newton due to illness.
Newton students urged to wear masks in coming weeks
by Jerry Reilly | Jan 4, 2023 | Newton | 6 comments
COVID wastewater concentration is heading back to where it was last January
For what it is worth, I never stopped wearing a mask when indoors in public places. It just seems to make sense, at least until Covid becomes just like the flu in a few years.
This announcement was lame.
I had my kids wear a mask to (middle and high) school on Tuesday, and they told me that barely anyone was wearing then. The high school principal corroborated this when he said mask use was “mixed” among faculty and students in his weekly coffee chat.
Why did city health officials make this recommendation it’s not being enforced of heeded by staff? It’s a set-up for failure and the city loses credibility with future public health guidance. Next time, maybe the city should point out the increased risk following the vacation, and suggest that staff and students rely on high quality masks if they want to protect themselves. One-way masking works better than “advice” with no followers or consequences.
The city lost credibility two years ago with health guidance. The schools were shut down because the Newton HHS recommended that students had to distance 6 feet. This went against all of the evidence from Europe. It went against the recommendation of WHO and DESE. It went against Rochelle Walensky’s advice to Mayor Fuller. It even went against the recommendation of the only physician that was paid to provide advice to Newton HHS.
My kids no longer go to NPS. If you think the benefits of your kids wearing a mask to school outweigh the costs, you are the parent–tell your kids to wear a mask. I don’t think Newton HHS has any authority, or special insight, to make the determination for everyone else’s kids.
I’m on the same frequency as Bob Jampol although I became somewhat lax during that interim period this past summer when the virus essentially went into hibernation. I just wish someone would come up with an N-95 mask that is as comfortable as the flimsy versions I see most people wearing. I’m perplexed as to why Harvard Vanguard and other hospitals or medical/health establishments don’t recognize N-95 masks as sufficient. I see some folks completely ditching their N 95’s for the less protective flimsy masks they require be worn. Maybe someone can set me straight on the reasoning behind this.
Huh, what is a mask?
That was sooooo 2021 people. Gosh.