Indoor masking will remain in place
Posted: March 24, 2022
On March 23, the Hawaii State Department of Education issued announcements related to changing COVID-19 protocols. These changes are in line with recent changes issued on March 22 by the Hawaii Department of Health.
As announced before the spring break, outdoor mask-wearing is now optional for students and staff at HIDOE campuses, events, and facilities. This letter dated March 11 is also being distributed to parents by schools.
Of note, masks will continue to be mandated in indoor settings such as classroom spaces. The HSTA met with the HIDOE on March 24 and asked if there are any plans to make indoor masking optional and we were told that indoor masking will continue to remain in place, likely through the end of the school year, but things can change.
Before the break, the HIDOE also announced changes to the guidance regarding individual case investigations and close contact quarantine requirements in a K-12 school setting. This included stopping the notifications to the entire school community when a case is reported. All positive cases are reflected on HIDOE’s online COVID-19 case count dashboard, and the dashboard will continue to be updated.
In addition, effective March 26 the following changes will occur:
- HIDOE employees will no longer be required to submit proof of vaccination or weekly test results.
- Volunteers and visitors also will no longer be required to show proof of vaccination or negative test results when entering campus or office.
The HIDOE issued updated COVID-19 Health and Safety Guidance on March 10. However, not all of the changes announced March 23 are included in this guidance, the HIDOE told HSTA new changes to the guidance are being drafted now.
As has been done throughout this pandemic, the HSTA remains committed to following the science and advocating for safe working and learning conditions. We will update members as soon as we have more concrete information. We continue to encourage anyone who is not yet up to date with a booster to get another free vaccination as soon as you are eligible.
Please continue to check HSTA’s website, social media, and the Member Matters email newsletter for the latest information. Thank you to all of our teachers who have shown tremendous resilience over the last two years and continue to make a difference for students.