Harford County Schools Lift Mask Mandate, Effective March 1
BEL AIR, Md. (WJZ) -- The Harford County Board of Education on Monday voted unanimously to lift its mask mandate effective Tuesday, March 1.
The announcement comes after a state panel voted Friday to revoke a statewide mask mandate in Maryland schools, leaving it up to districts to decide on mandates. Masks will be optional in all public schools and school buses.
According to new COVID-19 metrics announced Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, everyone in all but six Maryland counties can put their masks away if they want to.
The Baltimore County Board of education voted Friday to go mask-optional starting March 1. The Howard County Board of Education voted Thursday to do the same.
Masks have been optional for Anne Arundel County Public Schools students since Feb. 19. As of Monday, students in the district are not required to mask up on buses.
Carroll County voted Friday to go mask optional effective immediately.
A decision from Baltimore City Schools is pending. The city's mask mandate will lift March 1.
Maryland officials continue to encourage residents to get vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19, even offering a $2 million lottery as an incentive for boosters.
