As Decorah students begin schooling on Monday, mask wearing will be an important habit

Decorah students will be asked to wear masks as they head to classes.

Guidance from the Decorah School District says, "Upon boarding a school bus, or entering a school building each day, all staff and students will be required to wear a face-covering any time practicing six feet of physical distancing is impossible or impractical."

Students and staff members will be allowed to remove face coverings if physical distancing practices are practicable and are followed.  Face coverings will be removed during breakfast and lunch.  Families are being asked to be responsible for providing appropriate face coverings and for appropriate cleaning of reusable face coverings.  Schools will have cloth face coverings and disposable masks available when needed.

An e-mail from Decorah Schools says, "The Center for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that all school reopening plans address adherence to behaviors that prevent the spread of COVID-19. When used consistently and correctly, important mitigation strategies (such as) cloth face coverings are important to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Other important mitigation strategies include social distancing, washing hands, and regular cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces in schools and buses. CDC provides considerations for wearing cloth face coverings and recommends that people wear cloth face coverings in public settings and when around people who live outside of their household. The use of cloth face coverings is especially important when social distancing is difficult to maintain."