SOUTHAVEN, Miss. — COVID cases are spiking in Mississippi and Wednesday, the state’s top health officials suggested students may need to wear masks when school resumes next month.
But most of the state’s school districts, including DeSoto County Schools, have made masks optional.
The district doesn’t appear to have any plans to revise its mask policy, and said Wednesday that masks were recommended.
COVID hospitalizations in the state have more than doubled over the last two weeks.
Wednesday, six new COVID deaths were reported — three of them in DeSoto County. Of those six new deaths reported, one was a child. Health officials say that child had a common underlying medical condition.
It follows a trend seen across the country. Tuesday, it prompted the Centers for Disease Control to recommend mask-wearing at school, even for those who’ve been vaccinated.
The Mississippi state Department of Health is considering adopting that stance. Officials said it was likely that they will be aligning Mississippi schools’ guidance with CDC guidance.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has made clear he wouldn’t be mandating masks at school. At least for now, neither will DeSoto county.
