WORCESTER COUNTY, Md.-Â On August 26th, the Maryland Board of Education voted to require masks indoors of public schools, but that mandate has not been enacted yet. Worcester County Public Schools is standing by that vote in its buildings.
Assistant Superintendent For Safety and Human Relations Dr. Dwayne Abt says the best route is to follow the Center For Disease Prevention and Control.
"With the CDC, exception for close contacts in school systems meaning that every child is masked and at least three foot apart and wearing that mask properly that there will not be close contacts in that classroom if a child becomes ill with COVID-19," Dr. Abt said.
Video boards and signs at some of the schools show the proper way to wear masks and other precautions against COVID-19.
But a group headed by United for Freedom MD does not agree with many aspects of the decision. Co-Founder Caryn Abbot says the Worcester Board of Education needs to stand up to the state and parents' personal choice should be allowed.
"We also believe that masks are a medical device and that you know medical devices should come with informed consent," Abbot said. "It should be up to the parent whether or not they want to put that on their child.
Richard Addis took his kids out of public school because of the mask mandate and says the group will protest as much as it needs to to get the message across.
"As many times as we have to beat this drum before they actually listen to what the people want, then we will just have to keep revisiting it and stay the course," Addis said.
A debate that doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon in Worcester County.