Gov. John Carney extended the emergency masking requirement in public and private K-12 schools until February 8.
The extension was previously announced by Carney and state agencies last month. The regulations are being formally issued this week.
Delaware has not seen major legal challenges to the mandate. A state court overturned the school mandate in Pennsylvania, although districts are allowed to impose their own measures.
Delaware has a relatively low vaccination rate among students, but has seen a low rate of Covid-19n transmission in schools. Cases are expected to increase in school settings. due to a recent surge in Covid-19 cases throughout the state.
“Delaware children from kindergarten through high school are now eligible for Covid-19 vaccination, which should go a long way in protecting the health of students, educators, and school communities statewide,” said Carney. “But that’s only possible if Delawareans get the vaccine. We are seeing a concerning increase in cases and hospitalizations statewide as the weather gets colder. Improving our vaccination rates among children and adults is how we’ll move past this pandemic. These vaccines are free, safe, and extremely protective against serious illness from COVID-19. Getting the shot will keep Delaware’s children protected. And it will keep them in their classrooms learning.”
“The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and now available to everyone ages 5 and older in Delaware. That’s really exciting,” said Dr. Karyl Rattay, director of the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH). “We know from the data that this vaccine does a great job protecting children from the COVID-19 virus and serious illness. Getting the COVID vaccine will also keep Delaware children in school, and prevent quarantines in the event of an exposure to the virus. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about the vaccine and visit de.gov/getmyvaccine for more information.”
