Second to vaccination, mask compliance is the best defense against the spread of COVID-19 and to avoid quarantines from school or work. The following changes take place for the start of the second semester to ensure that all classes can remain with in-person learning for healthy students.
Mask Requirement
All staff and students will wear masks to mitigate the spread of the virus and protect unvaccinated staff and students. All staff will wear masks when meeting in groups of any size. Staff may continue to work without masks when alone in your designated space.
Mask Quality
Not all masks are equal. Ouray School recommends that staff and students wear tight-fitting, three-ply surgical (disposable) or KN-95 masks. Single-layer buffs will not be allowed. All staff and families should provide themselves with a supply of quality masks for school and community use. The school will have some masks on hand for students and visitors but can not provide them for students on a daily basis.
NOTE: After isolation and quarantine, staff and students are required to wear either a surgical mask (disposable) or a KN-95. These can be provided by the school to meet the requirement.
Exceptions
- Outdoor activities
- Eating (focused and short)
- Students with medical exemptions from wearing masks
- Mental or physical health needs on an individual basis
We will revisit mask requirements by looking at the following.
- New data on the transmission of Omicron
- School vaccination rates for staff and students
- Local transmission rates