Diocese requires masks for Catholic school students

Students attending Catholic schools in the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville are required to wear facial masks as they return to the classroom for in-person instruction.

The diocese has put out its 2021-2022 COVID-19 Guidelines for Catholic Schools in the Diocese for parents and others as students return to school. Masks will be mandated for all students, employees and visitors on campus.

With a pandemic showing no signs of slowing down or stopping, school officials in both the private and public sector are doing what they can to prevent their students from becoming infected with COVID-19 Delta Variant.

Children 12 years of age and younger are becoming more exposed and infected with the variant because they have yet to be vaccinated against the virus due to their age.

At a Monday Cameron County press conference where health officials provided an update on COVID-19, it was learned that 90% of the cases regionally are the Delta Variant.

The best that school districts can do is follow guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is what the Brownsville Diocese is doing.

There are 13 Catholic schools in the diocese that have elementary, middle school and high school instruction.

The additional protocols the diocese is following include:

>>There will also be 3 feet of social distancing in the classroom

>>Those who are close contacts will be required to quarantine

>>Those who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate for at least 10-days and be symptom free before returning to school

>>Schools will establish appropriate health screenings process for students, employees and visitors

>>Schools will establish cleaning procedures to include regular cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing facilities

>>Schools should have students and employees to continue with handwashing and hygiene protocols related to the prevention of the spread of the virus

>>Volunteers and visitors are limited and will be allowed on campus only after being screened in accordance with the school’s screening protocols.

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