BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Erie County Department of Health is clarifying a letter they sent to the Williamsville Central School District last week about mask breaks.
On Monday, a message was sent to parents in Williamsville that the district received a warning from the county health department for breaking the state's new COVID-19 guidelines for schools. The Erie County Health Department sent a letter to the district on November 5 saying that kids were not allowed to take mask breaks during the school day.
When the guidance first came out in August, the county said students will be allowed to take mask breaks once every hour for about five minutes. During mask breaks, the county says students should be seated and stationary at their desks. Now, according to the department, the guidance changed on October 29 that said that mask breaks were no longer allowed in class.
However, the county issued a statement Tuesday afternoon that the "ECDOH does not intend to take enforcement measures against schools that are providing students with mask breaks during the school day."
The health department says the current COVID-19 positive cases and high totals of new daily cases are giving them "deep concern."
In a statement, they say, "Proper and consistent use of masks is an important way to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, but our department’s primary focus continues to be education, outreach, testing and vaccination efforts – not punitive measures."
The ECDOH says, like parents and school administrators, they want to maximize in-person learning and prevent COVID illnesses in the county's student population.
