ARKANSAS, USA — The Arkansas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Arkansas Education Association is now calling for schools to implement face masks policies as COVID-19 cases continue to spike across the state.
Monday, Jan. 3, was the first day back for students in the Farmington School District, and for mom of three Lauren Mallet-Hayes, it’s her kids' first day back after a semester of virtual learning.
“I just had to go with my gut and keep on virtual for the first semester since they weren’t old enough to get vaccinated," Hayes said.
That was during the delta surge. Her kids are now fully vaccinated and were promised to return to in-person learning in 2022.
“Originally we didn’t talk about the mask mandate stipulation, but once omicron popped up, that was a non-negotiable for me,” Mallet-Hayes said.
Hayes is making sure her kids add every layer of protection against the virus needed.
Like many schools across the area, the Farmington District is only encouraging masks, not requiring them. However, as cases spike again, pediatricians are urging parents and schools to implement mask policies.
“The tsunami has hit the shore, cases are extremely high. If you want to protect your kids, we need to have a mask in the classroom,” said Dr. Gary Wheeler, retired pediatric infectious disease physician and past president of the AR Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Arkansas Education Association Executive Director Tracey-Ann Nelson says masks aren’t about politics, it’s about safety.
“It’s about the wealth and health and safety of the students," Nelson said. “The wellness of students and wellness of teachers.”
Arkansas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Arkansas Education Association says it'll be hard without COVID-19 safety measures in place.
“The most effective place to transmit infection is in the classroom,” Dr. Wheeler said.“Then we won’t get to a point of complete an auto crisis in our education supply chain."
Wheeler also says the education supply chain is already running into problems with staffing shortages of bus drivers and substitute teachers, which can cause a risk for in-person learning. That’s why many parents are hoping more schools will have better safety measures, especially during this recent omicron surge.
The Arkansas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics mentioned this is now possible due to a judge’s recent ruling making mask mandate bans unconstitutional in Arkansas.
The FDA has now endorsed booster shots for children between 12 and 15 years old. Dr. Wheeler says if your child is eligible to have them get the booster.
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