A Maryland elementary school has sparked outrage after reinstating a pandemic-era mask requirement, even though only a handful of schoolchildren have tested positive for COVID.
In a letter sent to parents Tuesday, Rosemary Hills Elementary School Principal Rebecca Irwin Kennedy said she took the step after “three or more individuals” became infected with the virus in the past 10 days.
She urged students to wear thick N95 masks to “keep our school environment as safe as possible,” even though a recent study found the mask could expose users to dangerous levels of toxic chemicals.
And while even the embattled medical guru Dr. Anthony Fauci admits there is no evidence masks stop the spread of Covid, Kennedy told parents N95s won’t be optional for 10 days.
The letter caused widespread outrage among those who see the decision as a slippery slope back to Covid lockdowns. Donald Trump Jr. posted on X: “DON’T FILL YOURSELF!!!”
School principal Rebecca Irwin Kennedy (pictured) reintroduced masks for schoolchildren after just a few positive cases, despite studies suggesting they could be harmful
Rosemary Hills Elementary School said the decision was made to “keep our school environment as safe as possible.”
The letter sparked outrage as many feared that reintroducing mask requirements in schools was a dangerous path to returning Covid-era restrictions
The letter was reportedly sent to the parents of students in a class at the school, informing them that their children would be forced to wear masks again so they could continue teaching in person.
Kennedy wrote that additional N95 masks have already been distributed to students and staff, who must wear them for 10 days before they become “optional.”
She added that the school is sending rapid tests for children to use at home, along with CDC advice on how often parents should test their children after exposure.
“If your child develops COVID-19-like symptoms such as fever, cough, loss of taste or smell, or other COVID-19 indicators at any time within the next 10 days, they should stay home from school and get tested,” the Der said Letter continues.
“Consider contacting a doctor if symptoms are severe or do not improve, or if your child is at higher risk of complications from a COVID-19 infection.”
The Montgomery County Public Schools System (MCPS), Kennedy and her assistant principal, Cassandra Scott, did not immediately respond to a request for comment when contacted by .
MCPS lifted its mask requirement in March 2022, and Maryland has not implemented a statewide mask requirement as cases rise across the country.
Donald Trump Jr. criticized the move and urged people not to follow the new Covid rules
Studies suggest that N95 masks can expose people to toxic chemicals. Pictured: California Governor Gavin Newsom accompanies masked schoolchildren into a classroom in August 2021
Experts insist the recent surge in Covid cases is not worth overreacting after the US recorded a rise in hospitalizations due to the virus for the first time this year.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that 8,000 patients were hospitalized nationwide in the last week of August, a 12 percent increase compared to the previous seven-day period and the first weekly increase since December.
Despite the increase, interest rates remain at historic lows. For comparison, at the peak of the pandemic in January 2021 there were 150,000 Covid admissions per week, and at the beginning of the year hospital admissions even reached 44,000 per week.
Experts attribute the increase to the natural waning of immunity that occurs about six months after the previous wave of infections.
The decision to wear masks again in Maryland also comes despite experts warning that the highly contagious virus, like the common cold, is likely to become a permanent part of everyday life.
“One thing Americans need to understand is that SARS-CoV-2 and its variants will never go away,” said Dr. Brett Osborn, a board-certified neurosurgeon in West Palm Beach, Florida, told Fox News Digital.
“It is here to stay because its mutation rate is high, just like the flu.”
The map above shows the percent positivity of Covid tests by US region for the week ending August 26th. Percent positivity is highest in the region that includes New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana, where it is 20 percent or more
The maps above show the percentage of deaths due to Covid by state in the week ending August 26th
Estimates suggest that around 96 percent of Americans have built up some immunity to Covid thanks to previous infections and vaccinations.
The high level of immunity suggests the country will fight new waves of infections much better than it did at the height of the pandemic, with the CDC noting deaths have fallen to record lows as authorities downplay the surge.
Dr. Brendan Jackson, a Covid incident manager at the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia, said: “If you imagine that the decline in cases looks like a ski slope – downhill, downhill, downhill over the last six months – that’s just where we are.” At the bottom you can see a bit like a small ski jump.’
A CDC spokeswoman added: “Covid rates in the US are still near historic lows after seven months of steady decline.”
“Early indicators of Covid activity (emergency room visits, test positivity and wastewater levels) preceded an increase in hospitalizations over the past week.”
Despite promising advice from medical officials, New Yorkers have also been advised to wear masks at their Labor Day celebrations due to fears about the return of Covid. A spokesperson for the New York City Health Department told that wearing a mask might be a “good idea.” ‘
The number of Covid hospitalizations in the US has now increased for the second week in a row. This could be due to declining immunity
The graph above shows Covid deaths per 100,000 people recorded in the US. These have not started to rise and remain at record lows
Concerns about the reintroduction of the mask requirement have driven some particularly crazy because the Covid czar Dr. Anthony Fauci has apparently made a U-turn on this issue.
Back in April 2020, he told anxious Americans, “If everyone does this, we protect each other.” Because it’s data, it’s more efficient to prevent transmission to others than to prevent transmission to yourself.”
The guidelines led by Fauci required people to wear masks in schools, public transportation, restaurants and workplaces.
But in a recent interview with CNN, he pointed out the importance of masking up.
“When you talk about the impact on the epidemic or the pandemic as a whole, the data is less meaningful.”
“But there are also other studies that show at the individual level that they may be protective.”
The former health chief was responding to questions about a study by Tom Jefferson, a senior tutor at the University of Oxford, whose research concluded that “there is simply no evidence that they – masks – make a difference.”
‘Point.’