Keep universal masking in place in Hamden Public Schools

We write to request that the Hamden School District maintain universal masking for the remainder of the 2021-2022 school year.

To date, Hamden has kept students, educators, families, and the broader community safe by following recommendations from the CDC and local health agencies like the Quinnipiac Valley Health District (QVHD) to create school COVID-19 policies. The CDC’s January 2022 guidance specifically recommends universal indoor masking by all students (ages 2 years and older), staff, teachers, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status. The American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) reinforced the CDC’s guidance, recommending vaccination for children over 5 and universal masking as two critical strategies to be used in tandem to ensure the safety of ALL children, including those especially vulnerable to infection. Furthermore, a January 2022 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) demonstrated that masking was associated with reduced school closures, which in turn resulted in adverse health symptoms such as distress and anxiety for students.

We are all tired, but let’s hold on a little longer until we have established that we can keep our communities safe without requiring masks. Thank you for your consideration and for all you do to keep our children safe.