What is the COVID protocol now? Is there even any protocol? A few weeks ago on April 5, 2021 the board of Lakeland High School met to decide a new protocol where teachers can not even encourage students to wear masks. 

When asked about why teachers and schools are no longer allowed to encourage students or recommend masks, Ramona Grissom who is a Lakeland Joint School District trustee, was willing to answer. 

Grissom states, “There is no recommendation for face coverings (masks/shields) by the Panhandle Health Board or the LJSD Board. If an individual chooses to wear a face covering (mask/shield) the Board has no opposition to the individual decision.”

The board has decided to take the recommendation of masks in the yellow level of operation. The yellow operation used to be that the school district was recommending that students and teachers wear masks now that they can make their own choice or their parent/guardians choice. 

Coeur d’ alene School District has had 778 cases throughout the 2020-2021 school year. Lake Pend Oreille School District has had a total of 179 cases in the school year. Lakeland School District has had 216 confirmed cases of COVID. 

Masks worn in both the Coeur d’ Alene and Lake Pend Oreille school districts were wearing masks and just removed them and now strongly recommend them. 

The meeting that was held also aloud the lunchrooms, libraries and other different activities are now open and able to be useful again. 

At LHS they have also moved all grades of students into one lunch so they have a longer lunch line and the cafeteria is full. Grissom also states that “I am proud of LJSD for pulling through at this unprecedented time.” She looks forward to moving into the green zone and having more of a normal year next school year. 

Moving into the green zone gives students the ability to socialize however they would like. Meaning they don’t have to worry about social distancing and they can socialize with other students and people.
With that, it also goes to show that people are becoming more immune to the virus and they are getting the vaccine that way they don’t have to worry about getting other people sick. That also helps with getting people back to non socially distanced places.

The fact that teachers and the school boards are noticing that the virus is going down and students are becoming more immune to the virus shows that they actually care about how their students and parents feel about the protocol.