Mask Mandate Update: Full List of Schools With Restrictions in Place

Amid a slight uptick in COVID-19 cases across the nation and the discovery of new variants, some schools have moved back to mask mandates for the start of the academic year.

From August 20 to August 26, there was an increase of 15.7 percent in new COVID-19 hospitalizations when compared to the previous week, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and an increase of 1.4 percent in positive tests for the same period.

The CDC said that the BA.2.86. variant was found in samples from people traveling into the United States from Denmark and Israel and may greater affect those who have previously had COVID-19 or the COVID-19 vaccination. The EG.5 variant was previously labeled as a "variant of interest" by the World Health Organization but currently has a low global risk.

Some hospitals and health organizations such as Kaiser Permanente in California and New York's United Health Services have already announced a return to mask requirements for staff members, patients and visitors. Some schools are following suit.

School mask mandates in 2023:

Rosemary Hills Elementary School in Maryland:

Earlier this week, Rosemary Hills School Principal Rebecca Irwin Kennedy sent a letter to parents announcing a return to mask mandates for 10 days after at least three individuals at the school tested positive for COVID-19.

"One kindergarten classroom (only), for 10 days (include the weekends) completes on 9/11," a spokesperson for the Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland told Newsweek.

Kinterbish Junior High School in Alabama:

In a Facebook post on August 21, the Kinterbish Junior High said, "Due to the slow raise of Covid cases in the area, students, employees, and visitors are asked to wear facial masks starting Tuesday, August 22, 2023. Thank you!"

It is unclear how long the mask requirement will last at the junior high school but photos posted on Facebook showed students and staff wearing masks on Monday morning.

Newsweek reached out to the Sumter County School District in Alabama for comment on the mask mandate at Kinterbish.

Talladega City Schools in Alabama:

On August 27, Talladega City Schools wrote on Facebook that masks were encouraged for students and staff members but they noted that they are not required.

"Please note this is not a mask mandate, but a general encouragement to be more conscious of our health," the school said in the post.

Newsweek reached out to Tallageda City Schools for comment.

Dillard University in New Orleans:

On August 25, Dillard University, a private, historically Black university in Louisiana, announced that they were mandating indoor masking for students, staff members and visitors for a two-week period, citing a rise in COVID-19 cases among the university's community and across the nation.

The two-week period for the mask mandate is set to end on Friday, September 8.

Newsweek reached out to Dillard University via email for comment on whether the mask mandate will be extended.

Morris Brown College in Atlanta:

Dr. Kevin James, the president of Morris Brown College, announced in an August 20 social media post that masks would be required for students and staff for a two-week period. The mandate ended on Sunday, September 3, and James confirmed to Newsweek that the school continues to "have several safety protocols in place."

Despite these schools announcing a return to mask mandate or mask recommendations, some Republican lawmakers have hit back at these COVID-19 safety precautions. Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently signed legislation barring government agencies from enforcing mask mandates in the state.

Ohio Senator JD Vance announced this week that he was planning to encourage the passage of his Freedom to Breathe Act, "which would prevent the reimposition of federal mask mandates for domestic air travel, public transit systems, and primary, secondary, and post-secondary schools," his office said in a press release.