COVID rules for city schools may be easing

LACONIA — COVID regulations will likely be less strict for the city’s public schools for the coming academic year based on guidance from the state Department of Public Health, Superintendent Steve Tucker told the School Board Tuesday.

Tucker plans to present his recommended school reopening guidelines at the board’s next meeting on Aug. 17.

“The guidance is calling for a relaxing of protocols,” he said, based on information given during a recent webinar with Dr. Benjamin Chan, the state epidemiologist, and other state public health officials.

Another webinar is scheduled for next Wednesday, he told the board.

The superintendent acknowledged that the big question on the minds of many people is whether the students and staff will be required to wear face masks.

“Right now, the (state) Department of Public Health is saying masks are an important layer of protection against the virus. However, it is also saying that this decision about masks will be a local decision,” Tucker said. “One of the issues the board will have to decide is what to do about masks.”

Face masks have been optional during the district’s summer programs and there have been no positive COVID cases reported so far among those involved in the programs.

“My hope is we will continue to see good data coming out about the virus,” he said.

Tucker noted, however, that Belknap County is the only county in the state where the community transmission of the virus has reached the substantial level, which is the highest designation.

A region is considered to have a substantial level of community transmission if the number of new cases per 100,000 population over the past 14 days is greater than 100. In Belknap County’s case that number was 119 as of Tuesday.

“We are watching that very carefully,” Tucker told the board.

He also noted that during the recent webinar a great deal of emphasis was put on the importance of vaccinations. He said state health officials believe vaccinations offer an important level of protection against the virus, but noted that vaccinations are strictly voluntary.

“It’s a deeply personal choice,” he said.

Tucker pointed out that quarantine requirements have been relaxed.

Since mid-June people who have had contact with someone with COVID-19 outside the home have not had to quarantine, although quarantining is still required for people who live in the same household as a person with the virus.

Those who do need to quarantine still need to remain in isolation for 10 days.

Tucker said that members of the public can offer their ideas for COVID protocols on the district website.