KINGWOOD, W.Va. – Officials from Preston County Schools have announced the multi-phase mask policy for buildings and extracurricular events set weeks ago is continuing as planned.
Since the beginning of October, masks have been required in buildings and school buses as the Delta variant surged in the county. Based on the policy that mandate will continue into the first week of November.
Superintendent Stephen Wotring instituted a three-phase policy in early October that set the guidelines for each month through December.
“Beginning in November, we will begin following the West Virginia COVID-19 map that is put out each day on the DHHR website,” Wotring said.
Based on the Oct. 30 map, Preston County will begin the week orange. The first step on the way to easing the mask policy.
“Our new plan for November is when we have five consecutive days of a color code of gold, yellow or green masks will be optional,” Wotring said.
According to Preston County Health Department Administrator V.J. Davis, active cases peaked near 400 and deaths averaged one per day in the first part of October. Active cases have dropped about 45 percent in the last two weeks.
“Although our numbers are starting to decline and go in the right direction, we still have not reached those colors,” Wotring said. “So, for the week of November 1, Preston County Schools will still operate under a mask mandate.”
If cases continue falling part of the plan would allow mask decisions to be made based on the level of virus activity at each school building.
“I will provide an update each Friday and putting a statement out when we put out the weekly COVID-19 numbers that will address the following week,” Wotring said.