Masks mandated in city schools

Catholic schools in Worcester were required to start implementing mask-wearing indoors on Tuesday, after a mandate from the city health department that included all schools. 

An emergency regulation was issued on Sept. 3 by Dr. Michael P. Hirsh, medical director of the city’s Division of Public Health: “It is strongly recommended that the governing bodies of the public, private, parochial, and charter schools adopt administrative policies to enforce this face covering mandate for their students, educators and support staff." 

“This regulation shall take effect on Tuesday, September 7, 2021, and remain in effect until rescinded by the Worcester Board of Health.” 

“We’ve long said … if the board of health ever issued a mandate, we would follow it,” superintendent of Catholic schools, David Perda, said Tuesday. That applies to schools in any city or town. 

Among reasons Dr. Hirsh cited were dramatic rises in COVID-19 cases, including through asymptomatic vaccinated individuals spreading the Delta variant, and hospitals at maximum capacity, and the effectiveness of masks in preventing the spread of the virus. 

So, coverings of the nose and mouth (or physical barriers in certain circumstances) are required in school buildings, including for indoor sports, and on school transportation.  

There are exceptions, including for physical and mental health needs (with a doctor’s note) and for eating, and playing wind instruments. But parents may not excuse their children from the requirement by signing a waiver. 

When masks were mandated for public schools throughout the state at the beginning of this school year, the Boston Archdiocese and Fall River Diocese chose to follow the mandate for their Catholic schools, said Superintendent Perda. 

He sent schools in the Worcester Diocese a notice several weeks ago which encouraged indoor mask-wearing by non-vaccinated students and staff but noted that “ultimately the final decision should be made by parents/guardians.”  

“We opened the school year mask-optional … with it being the parents’ decision” in the two diocesan schools: St. Peter Central Catholic Elementary and St. Paul Diocesan Junior/Senior High,” Superintendent Perda said. Both of those schools are in Worcester. 

But many of the other Catholic schools in the diocese mandated masks, he said; in parish schools the decision was made by pastors, working with the principal and the local board of health. Private Catholic schools also made their own decisions.