From our news services
Hyde County Schools today moved to a mask-optional policy on all school campuses and on school transportation, buses and vans.
Before this decision, a policy enacted several months earlier had allowed optional mask wearing only for fully vaccinated students and staff, according to Hyde County Schools Public Information Officer Julio Morales.
The Hyde Schools announcement came on the same day (March 2) that Gov. Roy Cooper announced that, based on improving trends with COVID-19, masks will become optional in most state agencies and facilities beginning on March 7.
“COVID-19 levels are declining rapidly, and we have vaccinations, boosters, and effective treatments that are making this step possible,” Gov. Roy Cooper said. “This virus is still causing serious illness and death mostly in unvaccinated people and the best way to protect yourself is to get vaccinated and boosted.”
Under Executive Order No. 253 issued March 1, the Office of State Human Resources has updated policies for face coverings for state government agencies that are part of the Governor’s cabinet. Agency heads may require face coverings in settings that they determine to be high-risk including long term care facilities, correctional facilities, homeless shelters, and health care facilities, and federal regulations continue to require masks in certain facilities.
Requirements remain in place that employees who are not vaccinated must be tested for COVID-19 at least once a week. Beginning March 7, employees may use at-home rapid antigen tests to meet the testing requirements in addition to PCR tests.
