Effective Wednesday, March 9th, the use of masks will be optional for all students and staff in city high schools operated by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as well as all city parish and regional elementary schools.
This afternoon all elementary and secondary school families and staff are receiving a joint letter from administrators in the Archdiocesan Office of Catholic Education’s elementary and secondary divisions as well as the Faith in the Future Foundation. The letter is an update regarding COVID-19 mitigation procedures in schools located in the city of Philadelphia. The full text is below.
Dear Parents and Guardians:
We are writing jointly to provide a status update to all elementary and secondary school families in the City of Philadelphia regarding COVID-19 mitigation procedures.
Recently, the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health moved the city into the “All Clear” COVID-19 Response Level and remediated masking requirements on several fronts with some notable exceptions, including schools. Today that requirement has officially been lifted.
As a result of the announcement, we are pleased to share that the wearing of face masks in Archdiocesan high schools as well as parish and regional elementary schools in the City of Philadelphia will become optional effective March 9, 2022.
Any student or staff member who wishes to continue to wear a mask may continue to do so and we recommend that unvaccinated individuals and individuals with certain medical conditions continue to wear masks.
All other COVID-19 protocols such as social distancing, increased ventilation, and enhanced cleaning will continue to remain in effect. We will continue to monitor and report COVID-19 cases and if there are case surges within a school building or a county there may be a need to return to the use of masks. The further reduction of other mitigation efforts will be considering over time pending circumstances. We continue, in the strongest possible terms, to encourage all students and staff to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine and booster.
We remain grateful to our school families, school administrators, faculty, and staff for working with us as partners in school safety during some of the most challenging circumstances we have seen in generations. Since March 2020, we have been laser focused to continue providing educational services at every level in an uninterrupted fashion while maintaining a safe environment for all members of every school community.
Please be assured of our prayers for you and your loved ones as we mark the early days of the Lenten season.
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Editor’s Note: For more information on Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, please visit aopcatholicschools.org/. For more information on Faith in the Future Foundation, please visit faithinthefuture.com/.
Contact:Contact: Kenneth A. Gavin
Chief Communications Officer
215-587-3747 (office)