February 2022

USE THIS LETTER AS A TEMPLATE TO EMAIL YOUR COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICER

Demand they follow CDPH guidance on K-12 schools when announced on Feb 28. While we believe masks could come off NOW in schools, many counties may be compelled to go FURTHER than CDPH and still require masks in schools past the date. Let them know you would like your county to align with CDPH and allow masks to be optional in schools.

County Health websites and contact info can be found here: https://www.naccho.org/membership/lhd-directory?searchType=standard&lhd-state=CA

Dear <<Insert County Public Health Officer>>

I am a CA parent and I am urging you to allow my child to have the option to go maskless at school and in daycare as soon as CDPH guidance allows. CA's indoor mask mandate expired at midnight on Feb 15. While CDPH will make a decision on February 28th about when the mask mandate for schools is lifted, I am imploring you to abide by that guidance and not require schools in this county to continue to mask beyond the date given. 

Children are the least likely to suffer serious outcomes from Covid, but face the most potential harm from prolonged masking. Students learning to speak and read are unable to see how their teachers pronounce sounds and words, and are experiencing speech delays at historic levels. Children under 5 are unable to see teachers' and peers' faces, which helps them learn to understand emotions.

One-way masking works when a well-fitted, high-quality mask is worn. Any staff members or students who wish to continue wearing masks should have the option to do that. But those who wish to not wear a mask, based on their individual level of risk, should also have that option, as they will have in almost all other indoor settings now

Where is the equity in allowing adults to unmask while children are forced to wear masks all day? Regardless of their vaccination status, children are at less risk from Covid-19 than vaccinated adults, so kids should be the first to unmask, not the last.

Schools continue to be the safest place for children and adults, including the thousands of schools across the country and in Europe which never required masks. Our kids are tired of being treated like 2nd-class citizens and disease vectors. They desperately need a return to normalcy.

Masks should be optional in schools and daycares as soon as CDPH allows.