Governor John Carney has announced that the State of Delaware will extend the emergency masking requirement in public and private schools until February 8.
The emergency masking regulation currently in effect is set to expire on December 10, with an option to extend the order another 60 days. The extension will be officially formalized later this month.
“Delaware children from kindergarten through high school are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccination, which will go a long way in protecting the health of students, educators, and school communities statewide,” said Governor Carney. “It’s our hope that, by February, we will be able to lift the state mask requirement. Our focus over the coming weeks and months will be on increasing Delaware’s vaccination rates. That’s how we’ll finally move past this pandemic. These vaccines are free, safe, and extremely protective against the COVID-19 virus. Getting the shot will keep Delaware’s children protected, and keep them in school. I’d encourage all eligible Delawareans to get their shot.”
More than 82 percent of all Delaware adults have received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, and more than 60 percent of all Delawareans are fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The mask extension comes after the DOE proposed a regulation that would have essentially made masks permanent in schools for the time being.
