Superintendent Wants Masks Dropped In Schools

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  BERKELEY – Central Regional Superintendent Triantafillos Parlapanides wrote a letter to Gov. Phil Murphy asking that he lift Executive Order 175 and remove the mask mandate from schools.

  “Although children can be infected with SARS-CoV-2, can get sick from COVID-19, and can spread the virus to others, less than 10% of COVID-19 cases in the United States have been among children and adolescents aged 5 – 17 years (COVID Data Tracker),” he wrote. “Children and adolescents who have COVID-19 are more commonly asymptomatic (never develop symptoms) or have mild, non-specific symptoms. All teachers that wanted to be vaccinated have been vaccinated so teachers are now safe in the classroom. I am respectively asking that you repeal Executive Order 175 so that students can breathe and that at graduation, parents can see their child’s face.”

  From the top-down, starting at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, through the New Jersey and Ocean County health departments, experts have been advocating the use of masks and social distancing to slow the spread of the coronavirus, in partnership with enhanced cleaning protocols. Studies have shown that mask usage can prevent the spread of infection, and some studies show that people who wore masks suffered less severe symptoms if they did get sick. However, there are variables in the studies that make it difficult to prove things conclusively.

  Gov. Murphy recently announced that there will be no remote option for any schools in New Jersey starting in September. Additionally, he said that masks can come off for outside events and for small, private indoor events.

  Many local schools have already begun bringing students back in to classrooms for longer periods of time.

  In Stafford Township, a school nurse was suspended for not wearing a mask and claiming that masks were hurting students.

  “Schools are an important part of the infrastructure of communities. They provide safe, supportive learning environments for students and employ teachers and other staff. Schools also provide critical services including school meal programs and social, physical, behavioral, and mental health services. Schools have indirect benefits to the community, including enabling parents, guardians, and caregivers to work,” Parlapanides explained.

  He posted his letter on social media and got overwhelmingly positive comments on his statement.

  Central Regional has students from Berkeley, Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, Island Heights and Ocean Gate. It is a 7th-12th grade school, meaning that the majority of its student body is now eligible for the Pfizer vaccine which has been offered to children as young as 12.