THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WTXL) — Thomasville City Schools announced in a letter Friday that they would be requiring students and adults in all schools and facilities to wear a mask regardless of their vaccination status for the upcoming school year.
The updated rules come as the CDC recommended that there be masking for all people while indoors for all K-12 schools, vaccinated or not.
Two other reasons for the mask mandate listed in the letter are:
- Thomas County is currently identified as of July 30 in the High Transmission Rate Category. The CDC identifies High Transmission as >100 new cases per 100,000 population in the past seven days.
- Our current vaccination rate for Thomas County is 36 percent of residents fully vaccinated and 40 percent of residents with one vaccination.
"For all of these reasons and for the safety, health, and well-being of all of our students, faculty, and staff I am amending our Back to School Plan to make masks mandatory for all children and adults while indoors in any of the Thomasville City Schools or facilities," the letter read.
The Superintendent also added in the letter that the situation would be monitored and changed accordingly if need be, while also encouraging people to get vaccinated.
"All stakeholders should expect Thomasville City Schools to respond accordingly and make the necessary changes as the data dictates," wrote Superintendent Raymond Bryant, Jr. "I encourage each of you to get vaccinated and encourage your family and friends to get vaccinated as well if they have not done so already."
TCS is scheduled to start school on Aug. 2.
The full letter can be read below.
