Update: Masks Required Again as Omicron Surges
The reprieve proved short-lived. The Archdiocese of Mobile announced in late December that mandatory masking would return when students came back from winter break in January, with face coverings required for all students in grades K-12 at its Catholic schools through Jan. 21, when officials planned to re-evaluate the COVID-19 precautions.
The reversal followed the arrival of the Omicron variant in Mobile and a dramatic spike in cases: the Mobile County Health Department reported 977 new positive cases on Dec. 30 — including six hospitalizations and two deaths — compared with just 86 cases reported on Dec. 23.