TROY, Mo. — The Lincoln County Health Department Board held a special session Friday afternoon to consider an order that would have mandated masks for all individuals 5 and older inside school buildings and on public school buses. This was in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The meeting was open to the public. Several concerned citizens gave public comments. After the hearing, the health board decided not to move forward with the order.
The mandate would have started on Oct. 5 and remained in effect through Oct. 30.
The health department cited several reasons in support of a school mask mandate, including an increase in COVID-19 cases in the U.S. since mid-June 2021 and the high transmissibility of the delta variant in school settings.
The health department's proposed order also listed Lincoln County's designation as a COVID-19 hotspot by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Lincoln County's 35% vaccination rate and Centers for Disease Control data that shows a high rate of COVID-19 transmission in Lincoln County. The order also states 41% of the active COVID-19 cases in the county are in people under the age of 18. In Lincoln County, 27% of the population is under the age of 18.
Audrey Henebry, Community Relations Director for Lincoln R-III School District, told 5 On Your Side in an email that masks are currently "highly encouraged for all, but not required."
The Lincoln County R-III district currently has 59 students absent with active COVID-19 cases and 262 students out quarantining because of exposure to the virus. The district has nearly 6,600 students enrolled.
Elsberry School District enacted its own mask mandate for all students on Sept. 14.
5 On Your Side will continue to update this story as more information is confirmed.