SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — Sacramento County's move into the "high" category for COVID-19 transmission rates means an "automatic return" of masking for students at Sacramento City schools.
In a news release, the Sacramento City Unified School District announced that the masking mandate will be back in schools on Monday. As the transition begins, students are encouraged to start masking Friday. It's not clear how long the mandate will stay in place.
"This decision was made with careful consideration of the current data trends and is intended to limit the spread of Covid-19 in schools and the community," officials said in a news release.
The data for the move to the "high" category comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Sacramento City Unified School District said the rate of spread in the county is eight times greater than it was when their mask mandate was lifted in April.
In response to an inquiry from ABC10, the Sacramento County Public Health said they're still monitoring their cases and the impact on hospitals. At this time, masks are being strongly recommended in public places along with vaccination.
"it is something that we are keeping an eye on. In addition, there is an increase in some outbreaks within businesses, schools and in our long term care facilities," said Lynnan Svensson, director of Public Health Nursing for Sacramento County.
The move into the "high" category triggers an "automatic return" to universal masking for students and staff at SCUSD, according to their recent news releases. The district had already been expecting to reach that high transmission point by today.
The school year for Sacramento City Unified ends June 16, meaning more than two weeks remain in the school year. The district said the remaining year includes many special end-of-year events for students, staff and families such as graduations, promotions, and proms.
Masks will be provided by the district at no cost to all individuals who need them.
"We understand this return to universal indoor masking may be a challenging transition. However, with the full cooperation of families, students and staff, we are confident our schools and end of the year events will remain open and safe for all," the district said.
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