Maryland Public School Reinstates Mask Mandate

A Maryland elementary school announced that it was reinstating a mask mandate for its students, amid an increase in positive coronavirus cases.

Rosemary Hills Elementary School (RHES) in Silver Spring issued a letter to parents regarding the decision to require students to wear masks after three or more people reportedly "tested positive for COVID-19," according to a post shared by Outkick founder Clay Travis in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"This letter is to inform you that 3 or more individuals have tested positive for COVID-19," the letter from Rebecca Irwin, the principal of RHES says, noting the people have tested positive within "the past 10 days."

https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/1699121666981298286

Irwin noted that KN95 masks would be "distributed" and "students and staff in identified classes or activities will be required to mask while in school for the next 20 days," unless when eating or drinking.

After ten days, "masks will become optional again," the letter says.

"We recognize that students are back in school, and the health and safety of our students is the utmost priority," Monifa McKnight, the Superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools told Fox5DC . "When there is an outbreak we have protocol that we put in place. We may in some cases ask students to mask. If so, we communicate with those communities in particular to let them know why and what the process would be."

The decision from the school to require students to wear masks comes as a wave of people such as First Lady Jill Biden , James Hetfield , the lead singer of the metal band Metallica, Democratic Colorado Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera , and "The View" co-host Whoopi Goldberg have all tested positive for COVID-19.

States such as New York are also supplying COVID-19 rapid tests and masks to school districts.

IJR reached out to Rosemary Hills Elementary School for a comment but did not hear back by the time of publication.