Schools in Baldwin County, Gulf Shores, and Saraland lifted their masks requirements as of today. It’s been a precaution taken by many schools in our area since the first day of school when COVID-19 numbers were much higher. school leaders say it’s safe not to wear a mask and the option is yours.

"I think a lot of parents will choose to continue to wear that mask as an extra layer of protection for their child," said Dr. Jessica Kirk a pediatrician at Thomas Hospital in Fairhope who still sent both of her children to school wearing masks today. One is vaccinated the other is still too young to get the vaccine.

"Because you can’t really tell sometimes who's sick and who's not and who has the virus so we highly recommend that parents talk to their pediatrician and talk to them if that’s best for their family and as pediatricians as a group we highly encourage everyone to mask especially those who haven’t been fully vaccinated," said Dr. Kirk. It was her decision as a parent and a doctor.

The big question now is: How do you safeguard your children when some wear masks at school and some don’t? The answer is in science.

"The more people you can protect your child from being around ...those direct respiratory secretions the better ..so your child may have their mask off during lunch and may be exposed to 50 people but if they have their mask on the rest of the day they are protected from those germs in all of the rest of those classes. So it may be a matter of protecting your child from 500 people and exposing them to 50. The longer they have that mask on their face during the day the more protected they are," said Dr. Kirk.

The Baldwin County school system points to a decline in COVID-19 cases. Hospitals too are seeing a decline overall, however, Thomas Hospital says the number of children testing positive with COVID remains the same, that’s over the last four to six weeks.

The school system says masks will still be required on school buses and current sanitizing procedures will continue, also if the COVID-19 case numbers change it's possible masks may be required again.

Parent Nancy Alvaro says she and her high school son were relieved to hear the masks were no longer required.

"He was fine with wearing or not wearing the mask. I think we've all had COVID and our God-given immune system fought it and think we're good. I don’t think a mask is going to make a big difference so I just told him if that’s what the school requires then wear it. If they lift it then great," said Alvaro.

Currently, the American Academy of Pediatrics is still recommending universal masking.