Gwinnett County

Gwinnett Schools to require masks for staff, students in new school year

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Gwinnett County Public Schools said it will require students and staff to wear masks when they return to the classroom on Aug. 4.

“The facts and recommendations are clear… masks do make a difference and we must do all we can to keep students in school, in person,” superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks said in a news release Tuesday.

The move comes as the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced new guidance Tuesday.

The CDC said Tuesday that vaccinated individuals should resume wearing masks indoors in areas where transmission is high amid a recent spike seen in COVID-19 cases nationwide.

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“We realize this does not allow families a lot of time to make this decision, but we must have this information by this date to ensure schools are staffed appropriately to serve students and student schedules are finalized prior to the start of school,” Wilbanks said.

The district said it will allow families to make a change in their children’s instructional preference (either in-person or digital) through Monday, August 2.

The district said it is partnering with the Gwinnett Health Department to host a weekly vaccination clinic at Discovery High School every Wednesday from 3-7 p.m. through the end of August.