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Do You Think Schools In Connecticut Should Have Mask Mandates In The Fall?
- Yes
- No
- Undecided
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced on Tuesday, Aug. 17, that due to the summer surge of new COVID-19 cases across the state and region, students will be required to wear facial coverings through at least the first month of the academic year.
The mask mandate will be in place for all students in kindergarten through 12th grade. It is unclear when the order will be lifted as new variants of the COVID-19 virus continue spreading across the country.
Lamont’s executive order requiring masks in schools will expire with his special executive powers on Thursday, Sept. 30, though local lawmakers could opt to extend those powers.
“We are going to continue the same executive order that we had last year that allowed our schools to be open safely and that meant for those of you, K through 12 students, I want you to wear the mask,” Lamont said. “You’re going to wear the mask for at least the first month.
"That’s what we got to do. We did it well last fall, we’re going to do it again this fall and show the rest of the country we know how to do it safely.”
Complete guidance on mask-wearing in Connecticut from the Department of Public Health can be found here.
The daily positive COVID-19 infection rate of those tested in Connecticut rose above 4 percent for the first time in months, to 4.25 percent of those tested for the virus on Monday, Aug. 16.
Thirty-six new COVID-19 patients were admitted to Connecticut hospitals, bringing the total to 321 on Aug. 17.
A week ago, approximately 160 COVID-19 patients were being treated for the virus.
Since the pandemic began in March 2020, there have been more than 8,300 COVID-19 fatalities in Connecticut.
The latest breakdown of confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in Connecticut, by county, according to the state Department of Health on, Aug. 17:
- Fairfield: 103,849 (11,009 per 100,000 residents);
- New Haven: 96,149 (11,249);
- Hartford: 88,426 (9,916);
- New London: 23,715 (8,942);
- Litchfield: 15,213 (8,436);
- Middlesex: 13,468 (8,291);
- Windham: 11,315 (9,689);
- Tolland: 10,062 (6,676).
A complete list of cases, by communities, can be found here by clicking and scrolling down.
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