Schools open with freedom of choice on masks – Overton County News

By Dewain E. Peek,

OCN Editor

Schools will open without mandated mask wearing, according to Overton County Director of Schools Donnie Holman.

The pronouncement came during a COVID-19 update held at Livingston City Hall on Monday, Aug. 2.

We have been working hard this summer to prepare things for school to begin, Director Holman said. I have a plan, a rough draft plan you might say, of what were going to do to have a safe reopening. We want everything to be as safe as we can possibly make things for our students and our staff.

He said student safety is the top priority.

What were planning on doing for this school year is, all schools will open for in-person learning following the regular daily schedule, Director Holman said. Multiple layers of protection that are already in place will continue.

Sanitizing stations and water bottle filling stations will still be used. Limited visitor protocols will be in place.

Masks will not be required, Director Holman said.

He went on to assure, But those who wish to wear them will be respected and allowed to do so, by all means.

Anyone exhibiting COVID-19 should not report to school, and should seek medical guidance. Isolation and quarantine protocols from health officials should be followed.

In the event of a positive COVID-19 case in one of our schools, we will follow the CDC and the Tennessee Department of Health guidelines, and parents or guardians will be notified of their childs possible exposure.

With Overton Countys positive COVID-19 cases rising from only one in recent weeks to 23 as of Mondays press conference, and with the Delta variant spreading, local leaders urged residents to be vaccinated.

Livingston Mayor Curtis Hayes made effective immediately a requirement for all city employees who have not been vaccinated to wear masks while on the job, and mask requirements and temperature checks were reinstituted for entrance to all city-owned buildings.

For the folks that have been vaccinated, it will be optional for those folks to wear their masks, Mayor Hayes said.

Employees will also have temperature checks at the beginning of each shift.

The next COVID-19 update was set for noon Monday, Sept. 13.

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Schools open with freedom of choice on masks - Overton County News