On Friday, November 13, Governor Northam announced changes to face mask requirements for all Virginians. The new mandate now requires a face mask to be worn in schools, even if individuals are spaced six feet apart. To comply with the new measure, beginning Thursday, November 18, all Isle of Wight County Schools' students and staff will be required to wear a face covering while in a school building. Masks are not required to be worn outside or during PE class if proper distancing can be maintained.
Many students are already electing to keep their masks on when they are indoors. Schools are working with teachers to schedule "mask breaks," which will allow students to remove their masks for brief periods of time. We realize this change may be a bit challenging for some of our learners, but are confident they will do well with this new procedure, just like they have done before.
Thank you to all of our employees, students, and families who have been adhering to the safety measures we have in place. Because of your commitment, incidences of cases in our schools remain low. While there are individuals who have tested positive for the virus, our mitigation practices have prevented others from contracting the virus through school.
We are hopeful that continuing our current practices and expanding the mask requirement from the Governor will help keep our schools open and safe for our students and staff. Our students need to be in school, even with the restrictions in place, and we thank you and everyone in the community for helping us make it happen.