A Maryland elementary school has sparked outrage after reinstating pandemic-era mask mandates despite only a handful of schoolkids testing positive for COVID.
In a letter sent to parents on Tuesday, Rosemary Hills Elementary School principal Rebecca Irwin Kennedy said she made the move after ‘three or more individuals’ caught the virus in the last ten days.
She demanded students don thick N95 masks to ‘keep our school environment as safe as possible’, despite a recent study finding the mask may expose users to dangerous levels of toxic chemicals.
And while even embattled medical guru Dr Anthony Fauci admits there is a lack of evidence the masks stop the spread of Covid, Kennedy told parents the N95s will only become optional after 10 days.
The letter caused widespread fury among among those who see the decision as a slippery slope back to Covid lockdowns, with Donald Trump Jr posting to X: ‘DO NOT COMPLY!!!
The letter was reportedly sent to parents of students in one class in the school, informing them that their children will be forced to wear masks again so they can keep in-person teaching.
Kennedy wrote that additional N95 masks have already been handed out to students and staff, which they will have to wear for 10 days before they become ‘optional.’
She added that at-home rapid test kids are being sent out by the school, alongside CDC advice on how often parents should test their children after exposure.
‘If at any time during the next 10 days your child develops COVID-19-like symptoms such as fever, cough, loss of taste or smell, or other COVID-19 indicators, they should stay home from school and be tested,’ the letter continues.
‘Consider contacting a healthcare provider if symptoms are severe or not improving, or your child is at higher risk of complications due to COVID-19 infection.’
The Montgomery County Public Schools system (MCPS), Kennedy and her assistant principal Cassandra Scott did not immediately respond to a request for comment when contacted by DailyMail.com.
MCPS lifted its mask mandates in March 2022, and Maryland has not introduced a statewide mask mandate as cases tick up across the country.
Read More: Maryland elementary school brings back MASKS
