By Beacon Staff
The Burlington School Board passed the second and final reading of a modified version of its existing mask policy that eases the current masking restrictions if COVID-19 positivity rates fall low enough.
Board member Nancy Hoelzen was the only vote against the modified policy.
The policy utilizes a tier system informed by county COVID-19 positivity rates to determine when students and staff in the Burlington School District should wear masks. The biggest change, besides upping the positivity rate percentages, is making masks optional at extracurricular activities, including sporting events.
The policy reads as follows:
Tier One – No masks required with a positivity rate between 0 and 12 percent.
Tier Two – Masks required during regular school hours when students are present, including zero hour, Pieces, and Club M, with a positivity rate between 12.1 and 20 percent.
The original tier system, broke down as follows:
Tier One — No masks required if the county positivity rate is between 0 and 5 percent.
Tier Two — Masks required during regular school hours when students are present, including zero hour, Pieces, and Club M, if the county positivity rate is between 5.1 percent and 12 percent.
Tier Three — Masks required at all times when inside district buildings if the county positivity rate is 12 percent or greater (including extracurricular activities).
Dr. David Carlson of Family Medicine (part of Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center) said the current positivity rate for the county has been between 25 and 30 percent. As of Tuesday, Jan. 25, the rate was just at 25 percent.
According to the mask tier policy, that means masks remain mandatory in school during class, until the positivity rate drops below 12 percent.
“Our medical system is at a breaking point,” Carlson said.
He noted that up to 15 people have to wait in line at the emergency room and said COVID-19 is spreading like wildfire through the community.
“We’re stretched very thin, and we need the public to take this pandemic seriously,” he said.