You are reading

Catholic Schools Won’t Require Students to Wear Masks Starting Wednesday

March 1, 2022 By Christian Murray

Catholic Schools in Brooklyn and Queens will no longer be requiring students to wear face masks—both indoors and out–beginning Wednesday.

The announcement came Monday, just one day after Governor Kathy Hochul said that the statewide school mask mandate would be lifted on Wednesday March 2. The state policy, however, still provides municipalities and local authorities with the option to keep the mask requirement in place.

New York City, for instance, doesn’t plan to lift the requirement for public schools until March 7, the mayor said Sunday.

The Diocese of Brooklyn, which oversees schools in Brooklyn and Queens, said that face coverings will become optional—although recommended—for both school personnel and students starting Wednesday.

“We respect all faculty, staff, and parents of differing opinions, and we understand the concern on both sides of the issue,” according to a letter from Diocesan school officials to parents. “No individual, faculty, staff or student will be discouraged from wearing a face covering at school, and face coverings will remain a recommended mitigation strategy.”

However, children who participate in New York City-funded Pre-K-3 and Pre-K-4 programs (UPK) offered at Catholic schools must continue to wear masks as required by the New York City Department of Education.

The schools in the diocese will continue to maintain preventive strategies in order to reduce the spread of the virus. These mitigation techniques include physical distancing; improved ventilation; handwashing; and cleaning and disinfection.

Meanwhile, the Arch Diocese of New York, which covers Catholic schools in the three remaining boroughs and the counties of Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester, said it too was lifting the mask requirement beginning March 2.

The New York diocese also sent out a letter to parents.

“Effective March 2nd, the wearing of a mask by an adult or children in all Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of New York will be recommended but NOT REQUIRED,” wrote Michael J. Deegan, superintendent of schools. “We will encourage the continued use of masks but will respect the choice of each parent and staff member.”

 

email the author: news@queenspost.com

One Comment

Click for Comments 
Ira Birnbaum

Super Bowl, ok. Award shows, ok. STOTU address, ok. BUT mask the toddlers! That is where the weak link lies. What a farce.

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

City debunks drone reports over LaGuardia after real emergency unfolds in Queens skies

As drone hysteria swept from New Jersey across the Hudson River to New York City on Thursday night, fueled by online reports of nearly a dozen large drones spotted over Queens, a genuine emergency unfolded in the skies above the borough.

The Port Authority and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that a flight out of LaGuardia Airport earlier in the evening was forced to make an emergency landing at JFK Airport after a bird strike blew out an engine on the aircraft.

Op-ed: A new JFK Airport is a doorway to opportunity for local and diverse businesses

Dec. 12, 2024 By Elena Barcenas and Loycent Gordon

As successful small business owners here in Queens, we join all New Yorkers in looking forward to the transformation of JFK International Airport into the world-class airport our city deserves. But a new JFK will serve as more than a global gateway for travelers—for local and minority-owned businesses like ours, it will be a doorway to life-changing opportunities.

Former Jamaica cop pleads guilty to negligent homicide in Grand Central Parkway construction worker’s death: AG

Former NYPD Officer Tyler Paul pleaded guilty in Queens Supreme Court to criminally negligent homicide and assault for the killing of a highway construction worker while speeding on the Grand Central Parkway in April 2023, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Wednesday.

Paul, 25, of Jamaica, was off-duty and driving his personal car at a high rate of speed on the Grand Central Parkway on the morning of April 26, 2023. As he made a lane change from left to right, without signaling and while driving between lanes, Paul struck a vehicle in the right lane.