By Mark Pazniokas / CTMirror.org

Gov. Ned Lamont will continue a requirement that K-12 students wear masks in schools to combat the spread of COVID-19 to a population that includes many children still ineligible for vaccinations.

“At this point, I don’t see that changing,” Lamont said Tuesday morning. Hours later, he made it official, saying he wants no “ambiguity” about the school mask directive.

Lamont re-asserted his policy on masking for students as COVID infections rise across the state.

Westport schools continue mask mandate

Westport school leaders indicate they will comply with the governor’s policy.

Candice Savin, chairwoman of the Westport Board of Education, said Wednesday, “As we approach the beginning of the 2021-22 school year, the wearing of masks in schools is legally required and the Westport public schools will comply with the law.”

Schools Supt. Thomas Scarise, in a recent statement emailed to local parents, echoed that sentiment. Scarise said that local schools will continue to comply with the mask mandate for all students imposed by the governor under an executive order in effect through at least Sept. 30.

“We expect to follow the mandates that are required of public schools, but to emphasize as much normalcy as permitted within areas of discretion,” also said.

The first day of the new academic year in Westport is Aug. 31.

No vaccines for kids under 12 yet

Vaccines are available and recommended for children 12 years old and over, but none of the three authorized for use in the U.S. has been cleared for younger children. Pfizer appears closest, saying it may seek approval next month for use of its vaccine in children ages 5 to 11.

More than 80 percent of adults in Connecticut are fully vaccinated.

However, the rate is significantly lower for adolescents: 63 percent for those ages 16-18 and 46 percent for those 12-15, according to numbers released Tuesday by the state Department of Public Health.

COVID infections on the rise

The state’s daily positivity rate rose again Tuesday to 4.25 percent, with 700 new positive cases. An additional 181 positive cases identified before Aug. 1 were added to the total, but those cases are not included in today’s positivity calculation, said Lamont spokesman Max Reiss. 

Still, Tuesday’s positivity rate is the highest single-day rate since April 15, when the rate was 4.4 percent.

The Biden administration reportedly has decided it will recommend booster shots for adults vaccinated more than eight months ago. But Lamont said there is no protocol yet for how the boosters will be prioritized in Connecticut.

“Right now, I think the CDC is saying, ‘If you’re immunocompromised, go and say so, and you can get that extra shot,’” Lamont said. “We’re trying to make that process a little cleaner without intruding on anybody’s privacy. Give us a week on that.”

Connecticut first provided the vaccines for nursing home residents and healthcare workers. Inoculations were then available based on age cohorts, beginning with people 75 and older, dropping the age requirement in 10-year increments during each phase of the rollout.

Aside from protection against the virus, vaccinations offer another benefit: Unvaccinated persons, when exposed to COVID-19, are urged to quarantine for 14 days. The vaccinated are not.

It wasn’t until May 10 that the Food and Drug Administration extended its emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children 12 to 15.

On Aug. 6, the Lamont administration ordered that workers at nursing homes, residential care homes, assisted-living facilities and other long-term care facilities be vaccinated by Sept. 7, or their workplaces would face a $20,000 penalty per day.

No broader indoor mask mandate … yet

Lamont has not ruled out further measures to nudge Connecticut’s vaccination rate higher. Like the other New England states, Connecticut’s COVID vaccination rate is among the highest in the nation.

The governor said he is not ready to issue a broader mandate for mask wearing, as some municipal leaders and private businesses have done.

“I don’t think we need to do that on a statewide basis yet,” Lamont said. “I’ve got to think about masks in schools on a statewide basis. That’s different. Those are all kids who are unvaccinated.”

Unlike states where governors have blocked municipalities from more stringent rules, Lamont has welcomed communities and private companies setting mask rules based on local conditions and concerns.

“I think it’s working right now,” Lamont said.

In Westport, First Selectman Jim Marpe last week urged people to consider wearing masks in all indoor public places, such as restaurants, gyms and stores, but did not impose a mandate. 

However, Marpe has issued a requirement that anyone entering all municipal buildings wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status.

With additional reporting from the Westport Journal.