Warren Removes Mask Mandate For Students, Staff While In School

WARREN, NJ — Students and staff at Warren Township Schools will no longer be required to wear masks inside beginning on Tuesday, said Superintendent Dr. Matthew Mingle.

"The individual mask mandate will be removed for students and staff in school facilities. The official recommendation is for unvaccinated individuals to continue to wear masks indoors, however, individuals are permitted to make this decision for themselves as per the new [New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) and New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH)] guidance," said Mingle in a letter sent to the Warren community on Friday morning.

Mingle added that per order of the CDC, students and employees must continue wearing masks on school buses.

The decision to remove the wearing of masks inside school buildings follows Gov. Phil Murphy's announcement on Monday that students in New Jersey schools will not be required to wear masks inside unless their district mandates it for the upcoming fall. Read More: No Mask Mandate For NJ Students This Fall, Gov. Murphy Says

The NJDOE/NJDOH can still make changes to the masking expectations before the start of the 2021-2022 school year.

"We will continue to monitor these changes in consultation with our local public health official and update our plans as the next two months unfold," said Mingle.

The next updates regarding September 2021 planning will be shared at the July 19 Warren Township Board of Education meeting (available in person at Warren Middle School or streaming via the district website) and in community briefing emails on Thursday, July 8 and Thursday, July 22.

See below to view Mingle's full letter:

Mingle's Letter To Community by Alexis Tarrazi on Scribd

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

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