Children inside Juneau School buildings are once again going to be masked when they return to campuses on Monday. The school district made the announcement on Saturday, in response to a rise in cases of Covid in the state’s capital city.
“Due to the CDC increasing Juneau’s COVID-19 Community Level to High and the JSD Mask Policy, Juneau School District now requires masks indoors in Juneau School District facilities effective immediately,” the district posted on its website. The community level had previously been labeled “low” by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the city’s website, the community is still at a low level, but according to the CDC map, it’s in the red zone.
Juneau’s Bartlett Hospital is in the green zone at the state’s website that provides information about whether a hospital has room for patients. Green means it is operating normally and has capacity. All hospitals in Southeast Alaska are in the green zone.
The children and staff in Juneau schools were allowed to go maskless for just 20 days this school year, under a new district policy that linked the masking requirement to what is mandated by either the City and Borough of Juneau or the CDC.
According to the CDC, 82.5 percent of eligible Juneau residents have been vaccinated for Covid. It is the most vaccinated city in Alaska. It is also the only city in Alaska that is in the CDC red zone.
Masks in Juneau schools are required until further notice.
