Lincoln Public Schools reviewing new CDC guidelines recommending masks in schools

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - Lincoln Public Schools superintendent Dr. Steve Joel said the district is reviewing the latest CDC guidelines recommending everyone wear a mask in K-12 schools.

“We will continue to work with the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department to update our Safe Return to School Plan based on local conditions. Any updates made to the plan will be communicated through email, our website, and social media,” Joel said in the statement. The most recent return to school plan draft says masks would be optional for vaccinated students and staff and strongly recommended for unvaccinated students. For staff who are not fully vaccinated, face coverings are required. But at the time they published the plan, LPS said they would “continually review and update” the plan based on the most recent data and guidance.

The CDC’s guidelines released Tuesday recommend everyone wear masks inside schools regardless of vaccination status. This comes two months after the same officials said masks were no longer needed for the vaccinated. CDC officials said the change is due to the Delta variant which is spreading across the country. Case and hospitalization numbers have been rising nationwide in recent weeks.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Tuesday the level of the delta strain of the virus in infected vaccinated people is “indistinguishable” from the level of virus in the noses and throats of unvaccinated people, meaning it’s possible for the vaccinated to spread the virus. For previous strains, infected vaccinated people showed low levels of the virus and were deemed unlikely to spread it.

10/11 NOW will be covering the LPS Board Meeting Tuesday evening and will provide any COVID-19 related updates.

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