Bemidji Schools will shift from required to recommended masking when students return to school tomorrow.
“A couple of months ago, we were advised that the Omicron variant would rapidly increase in the community but then would drop just as rapidly,” wrote Superintendent Tim Lutz.
“We are currently at the point where we see those numbers have dropped to a point where we believe we can move away from mandated masking.”
“Between vaccination rates of the student body and the numbers of people who have post-COVID immunity, district officials believe mandatory masking is not necessary at this time, but is still strongly recommended,” added Lutz.
The district also received a shipment of KN95s for those who would still like the additional measure of protection.
The masking requirement could return if COVID numbers increase in the community again, and masks are still federally required on all public modes of transportation, such as school buses, until at least March 18.
