Requirement applies to students in middle school, high school
Logan County Health Commissioner Dr. Boyd Hoddinott issued an order Tuesday that will require students in middle school and high school to wear face coverings during the upcoming school year to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The face covering order applies to students at school and on the bus at all times when: social distancing from school staff cannot be maintained; outdoors and unable to consistently maintain a distance of 6 feet or more from individuals who are not members of their family/household; or riding on school district-provided busing when 6 feet cannot be maintained from the bus driver.
The order does not apply when: students are under age 10; have a medical condition including those with respiratory conditions that restrict breathing, mental health conditions or a disability contraindicates the wearing of a facial covering; or if the individual communicating or seeking to communicate with someone who is hearing impaired or has another disability.
Additionally, the order does not apply when individuals are exercising in a gymnasium or indoor facility as long as six feet or more of separation between individuals exists; when students are participating in athletic practices, scrimmages or competitions; or when pupils are seated and consuming food or beverages.
The health commissioner noted that COVID-19 is somewhat more contagious than influenza and the highest contagion occurs during the day before the illness onset and the following four days. It appears that at least 40 percent of the spreading comes from asymptomatic individuals.
“This makes masking especially important,” Dr. Hoddinott said. “It has been known since SARS in 2003 that the mask is always better on the person spreading the virus. Surgical and cloth masks do also protect the wearer.”
Health district officials also related that children younger than 10 are much less impacted by COVID-19 — they are less susceptible to “contracting, less likely to spread, less susceptible to serious illness and have a much lower death rate.”
Of the 130,000 total U.S. COVID-19 deaths reported by the CDC in mid-July, only 31 occurred in children under 15, and 157 in the 15 to 24 age group. The average rate of death in most developed countries is 81 years.