On Tuesday, the CDC revised their mask guidance for COVID-19. They now recommend fully vaccinated people to begin wearing masks indoors in areas where COVID cases are increased.
The CDC also now recommends that students wear masks in schools when they return in the fall. Final mask mandate decisions will be left to state and local officials.
Max Reiss, Communications Director for Governor Ned Lamont, announced that the Governor's office and the CT Department of Public Health will provide more specific local mask guidance in the next few days.
Connecticut Education Association President Kate Dias released a statement responding the new CDC Mask Recommendations:
“Safety is and must remain a top priority as we return to all in-person classes in the fall, and we expect the state to ensure that all school districts follow the CDC's new recommendations to keep everyone in our school communities safe. Vaccinations are the best protection against the virus, but we have large populations of unvaccinated students, because vaccines are not available to them at this point, so the next best way to protect them, their educators, and their families is to wear masks. In the absence of a vaccine for students, and with the increase of cases and the spread of the delta variant, the CDC’s recommendation that everyone in K-12 schools remain fully masked indoors is the best precaution we have for our safety--especially for our most vulnerable students--and the most responsible way to ensure students stay in school. The consequences of not wearing masks means a return to a revolving door of hybrid and remote learning, causing more disruptions for our students and their education.”