After receiving confirmation from the Maryland Department of Health this afternoon that more than 80 percent of eligible Anne Arundel County residents have been vaccinated against COVID-19, Superintendent George Arlotto announced today that he will recommend the Board of Education vote tonight to lift the mask mandate immediately in all Anne Arundel County Public Schools buildings.
Dr. Arlotto will formally make the recommendation as part of his update on school system operations at tonight’s Board meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. The Board must approve the recommendation for the mandate to be lifted.
Statewide school masking regulations adopted by the Maryland State Board of Education provide three pathways through which a local school system can lift the mandate. One of those allows that to happen through when a county reaches 80 percent vaccination rate.
“Our case rate in Anne Arundel County has been below 20 for the last week and below 15 for the last five days,” Dr. Arlotto said. “I believe the appropriate move at this time is to make masks optional for all of our students and employees.”
Should the Board vote to lift the mandate, persons on schools buses would still be required to be masked per federal regulations and those at schools on Fort George G. Meade would need to continue to follow the regulations of the post.