Hudson City Schools extends mask mandate until Nov. 15

The Hudson City School District's mask mandate will continue until Nov. 15.

Superintendent Phil Herman announced the extension of the mandate during the board of education meeting Monday evening. He said the issue would be revisited with the board in mid-November.

"I'm actually optimistic that we're headed in the right direction but we're not there yet," Herman said.

Herman said he is hoping three changes — vaccinations soon being available to children ages 5 to 11, declines in overall COVID-19 case rates in all age groups in Summit County and changes in quarantine guidance in schools — would allow the district to be mask-optional "sooner rather than later."

The Ohio Department of Health on Monday released new guidance for quarantining that county health departments and schools can follow.

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Under the "Mask to Stay" policy released by ODH, direct contacts in a school environment, regardless of vaccination or masking status, may remain in the classroom if they wear a mask for 14 days after their last date of exposure; self-monitor, or parent-monitor, for symptoms of COVID-19; and isolate and get tested if they start to experience symptoms associated with COVID-19 (regardless of level of severity).

Students and staff may discontinue these quarantine procedures after seven days if they don’t develop symptoms, and they test negative between days five and seven.

Summit County Health Commissioner Donna Skoda is setting up a meeting with the county's 17 superintendents to discuss the new in-school quarantine option.

"We're going to be implementing this as quickly as we can," Herman said.

One piece of bad news: Herman noted that COVID-19 cases are climbing in the] 44236 ZIP code, "particularly in our younger student population."

Reporter Phil Keren can be reached at pkeren@thebeaconjournal.com, or on Twitter at @keren_phil