As Los Angeles (LA) County experiences a drastic uptick in cases, policies regarding masks and COVID-19 throughout Arcadia have been updated. 

Due to new LA County mandates, teachers and other school staff are now required to wear N95 or other medical-grade masks. 

Though no changes in policy have been mandated for students, it is recommended that students wear masks which are “well-fitting, non-cloth masks of multiple layers of non-woven material with a nose wire.” The county also urges students to take the COVID booster shot when available. 

“With these policies we seek to strike a balance between the safety of students and staff on the one hand, and your capacity to implement additional protective measures on the other,” said Barbara Ferrer, public health director for LA County.

Under the updated rules, students who remain asymptomatic but who have been in close contact with a diagnosed COVID patient must take a COVID test within 14 days. Quarantining is not necessary, unless they have symptoms or receive a positive test result. LA County recommends that students conduct tests immediately after exposure and then five days after as well in order to ensure their lack of infection. 

Additionally, athletic teams with four or more cases over two weeks are required to halt group activities for at least a week and obtain the approval of the LA County Health Department before continuing. 

In response to the rising cases, Arcadia Unified School District (AUSD) has also implemented new changes in mask policy. 

“Beginning on Monday, January 17, 2022, students are now required to wear masks for all activities when physical distancing is not possible, excluding eating and drinking,” said the AUSD website. 

LA County cases continue to rise at a rapid pace, and on December 31, 2021, the county recorded more than 27,000 new cases. This startling number far surpasses last winter’s peak average of 16,000 cases daily, and nearly 1 in 4 people who are being tested are positive for COVID, says officials. In fact, daily totals for COVID are doubling every two days. 

As a continued safety measure, AUSD continues to offer COVID testing for both AUSD students and staff at the Arcadia Education Center, free of charge. 

Though the increased mask mandates and rising COVID have caused much frustration, most students and Arcadia residents understand the necessity of the new rules and regulations.

“As a student at AHS, it’s a little bit frustrating and annoying, but I understand why. It sucks, but I hope these new mask mandates help curb cases and we don’t have to return to distance learning. I mean last time they said we were gonna be gone for two weeks and look where we’re at,” said sophomore Veronica Meyers.

All in all, these improved mask mandates are for the best and will hopefully combat the rising Omicron outbreak in Arcadia and LA County.

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