At Silver Summit Elementary school, all it took was one case of COVID-19 to trigger a mask mandate that covers the 45 students and roughly 10 faculty members. According to Jodi Jones, a South Summit School District spokesperson, the mandate started Nov. 29 and is scheduled to expire Monday.
That’s roughly the same timeframe for a North Summit Elementary School mandate, which began Dec. 1 and is scheduled to expire on Dec. 14.
Under Summit County health orders, elementary and middle schools must require masks if 2% of the schools' populations — including students and adults — tests positive for COVID-19 within 14 days.
Masks must be worn for two weeks, after which county health officials and school district representatives reexamine the data and determine whether the order should be extended for another two weeks.
Health Director Phil Bondurant has said the mask policy is an attempt to prevent a school-wide outbreak before one occurs.
Jones said the mandate was triggered at Silver Summit Elementary when a student who had been home over Thanksgiving break tested positive.
