HOOVER, AL — Schools in the city of Hoover have announced that they are once again requiring the wearing of masks inside school buildings, effective immediately.
The district also said it would no longer conduct COVID-19 contract searches for exhibits in middle and high school buildings because: “with our latest push, this practice has become impossible.”
However, contact tracing letters will still be sent to parents of elementary school students and school bus riders when their child has been determined to be in close contact with someone who tests positive.
The announcement was made Wednesday by Hoover City School, and the mask mandate was already in place Thursday.
According to the district, the latest data revealed that 454 students, or 3.4% of the student population, tested positive in the past seven days.
“When the percentage of students testing positive is at or below 1% for two weeks, the district will revert to optional face-covering status,” Hoover City Schools said in a statement.
Face-covering rules apply to all activities inside school buildings, the district said, but not during after-hours sporting events.
These events will still follow the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s COVID-19 guidelines — which reflect guidance from the Alabama Department of Public Health — stating that face coverings are strongly recommended, but not required.
The district said it took on contact tracing duties when the agencies responsible for the practice proved unable to perform the work.
Middle and high school nurses had been instructed to do contact tracing and send letters notifying parents that their children were close contacts.
“As students change classes throughout the day, the number of potential close contacts becomes unmanageable,” the district said in a statement. “Until further notice, parents of middle and high school students should assume their child has the potential for exposure and check their child daily for any possible symptoms.”
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