COVID PA: 2 Montgomery County school districts require masks starting Friday

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — At least two schools in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, have notified parents that masks are required beginning Friday morning due to the latest COVID-19 data released by the CDC.

According to the Cheltenham School District, the CDC has moved Montgomery County to the “high” community level on its COVID-19 data tracker.

Due to this change and advice from the Montgomery County Office of Public Health, masks are now required indoors and on public transportation beginning Friday.

“Remember to send your child to school with a mask. If your child does not have a mask, they are available in the health room. Once the county returns to ‘medium’ on the data tracker, the district will return to ‘mask recommended.’ We are still offering Test to Stay and Mask to Stay to eligible students and staff,” the district said Thursday night.

The Lower Merion School District also requires masks indoors and on buses.

Based on the most recent data, Bucks, Chester and Delaware counties are also in the “high” community tier, though no other districts require masks at this time.

Philadelphia remains in the “average” community level, according to the CDC.

Health officials say the number of Philadelphians who have tested positive for COVID-19 is now as high as it was in the first week of February and has more than doubled in the last three weeks.

Hospitalizations in the city have also doubled.

Philadelphia officials say they are not reinstating the mask mandate at this time, but recommend wearing masks indoors.