BOISE, Idaho — The Boise School District Board of Trustees opted Monday night to continue requiring face coverings for students and staff to prevent COVID-19 infections, making the district one of the last in the region to resist loosening restrictions.
The decision came after doctors from St. Luke's and Saint Alphonsus reversed an earlier recommendation that making masks optional after the end of winter break could be done safely.
Dr. Kenny Bramwell acknowledged the frustration caused by walking that advice back, but told trustees that the emergence of the Omicron variant in Idaho and a leveling-off, rather than decline, in COVID-19 hospitalizations had given medical experts pause.
"Early indicators suggest it may be more contagious than Delta, which makes me shudder a bit," Bramwell said of the Omicron variant. "Delta was not more significant in the illness it caused, it was not more problematic for the people who caught it. It was just as serious as prior variants, it was just five to eight times more contagious, and that's how we ended up in such dire straits."
Rob Howarth from Central District Health agreed, noting that Ada County remains in a high rate of transmission. As such, it can be difficult to tell whether someone infected with coronavirus caught it at school as opposed to a party, grocery store, family get-together, or another gathering.
"It is really hard to discern where that infection might occur," he said. "It's definitely not helpful, I would say, to not have mitigation measures in place."
Most other school districts in the area, including West Ada, Kuna, Nampa and Vallivue have dropped mask requirements or made them optional for students and staff.
Dr. Mark Nassir from Saint Alphonsus also urged trustees to err on the side of caution, noting that masks are proven to be effective in halting or slowing disease spread, and do not have any physical or mental consequences for the wearer.
Although it is more comfortable and easier to communicate without a face covering, he added, hospital employees routinely wore masks all day long even before the pandemic without any adverse effects.
"It is safe for children, and it is helpful in preventing transmission," he said. "If we do it together, it is much more effective than if one person is wearing it by themselves."
In the Boise School District, there were 34 positive cases and 704 quarantines last week, officials said. Just 12 percent of Boise students ages 5 to 11 are vaccinated, compared to 39% of 12- to 15-year-olds and 44% of 16 and 17-year-olds.
Trustee Elizabeth Langely said the "extremely low" vaccination rate was frustrating.
"I could see how we could clearly go forward from all the testimony tonight if we had higher vaccination rates," she said. "We could move out of masking much faster with higher community vaccination rates. So I am disappointed. We can't - we have to do something for our community protection."
Other board members expressed concerns about holiday parties, travel and gatherings exacerbating the number of infections while students and teachers are out for Christmas break. The district is also considering a "test-to-stay" option under which students who are exposed to COVID-19 would not have to quarantine if they test negative.
Board President Dave Wagers acknowledged the high volume of comments from parents on the issue, and the frustration felt by both those who want to keep masks mandatory and those who want them to be optional.
"There is no perfect answer. Anything we do, we will make half the people mad," he said. "But I will still make the decision I feel needs to be made."
The board will again take up the district's mask policy in mid-February.
At KTVB, we’re focusing our news coverage on the facts and not the fear around the virus. To see our full coverage, visit our coronavirus section, here: www.ktvb.com/coronavirus.
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