Archdiocese of Mobile Lifts Mask Requirement at Catholic Schools, Then Reinstates It as Omicron Surges
Masks became optional at all 19 Archdiocese of Mobile Catholic schools on Nov. 8, 2021, as COVID-19 numbers fell. On Dec. 30, with Omicron driving cases up, the archdiocese required masks again for K-12 students and staff through Jan. 21.
MOBILE, Ala. — Masks will no longer be required for students and adults at Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Mobile beginning Monday, Nov. 8, Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi announced Friday, citing declining COVID-19 numbers.
The change applies to all 19 of the archdiocese’s schools. It extends a step taken Oct. 18, when masks became optional at the archdiocese’s three high schools.
What the archbishop said
In a letter to school families, Rodi thanked parents, students and faculty for their support “as we continue to navigate the difficulties of the pandemic.”
“Fortunately, decreasing Covid-19 numbers allow for a change in our current policy,” he wrote. “Beginning Monday, November 8, 2021, masks will be optional for all students and adults in our Catholic schools.”
Each principal will share guidelines specific to his or her school community, according to the letter. “We trust that parents will make the best decisions for their children and ask that our school communities respect the decisions of others,” Rodi wrote.
Masks still recommended for the unvaccinated
The archdiocese is not dropping masks altogether as a recommendation. “For all those who remain unvaccinated, we highly recommend, but will not require, that face masks continue to be worn while indoors,” the archbishop wrote, adding that families are encouraged to seek guidance from their physicians regarding the vaccine.
Rodi said the archdiocese will continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 in its schools and communities and that “protocols in response to any changes will be adjusted accordingly.”
Update, Dec. 30, 2021: Masks required again as Omicron cases surge
The optional-mask policy lasted less than two months. On Dec. 30, the Archdiocese of Mobile announced that, “due to the rapidly increasing number of COVID-19 cases,” masks would again be required for students in kindergarten through 12th grade and for school personnel at all of its Catholic schools when classes resumed after the Christmas break.
The requirement runs through Friday, Jan. 21, when the archdiocese said it would re-evaluate its COVID-19 precautions. Principals were to contact families with more information.
The reversal came after the Omicron variant was confirmed in Mobile and case counts climbed sharply. On Dec. 30, the Mobile County Health Department reported 977 new positive cases, along with six hospitalizations and two deaths. A week earlier, on Dec. 23, the department had reported 86 cases.
Sources: Archdiocese of Mobile letter from Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi, as published by WKRG News 5 (Nov. 5, 2021); Archdiocese of Mobile announcement of Dec. 30, 2021, as reported by WKRG News 5 and NBC 15 (WPMI).
