AMHERST — Unvaccinated teachers and staff members who work in the three Amherst elementary schools are being required to wear KN95 masks when inside the buildings.
At the Aug. 31 Amherst School Committee meeting, Superintendent Michael Morris issued a memo about the additional layer of protection in place at Crocker Farm, Fort River and Wildwood elementary schools.
Almost all students at those schools are not yet eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, Morris said.
“For those who work in the elementary schools and are not yet vaccinated, the districts will now require an extra measure of personal protective equipment while indoors in the school,” the memo from Morris reads.
In addition to the more protective masks, those who are unvaccinated will need to stay a minimum of 10 feet away from others any time they are unmasked indoors for more than a moment, such as when eating lunch.
The KN95 masks will be available from the district. Those vaccinated needed to provide proof of getting the shots to the district by Sept. 7.
“Those who do not submit proof of vaccination will be considered unvaccinated for this purpose and will be required to follow the masking procedure outlined above beginning on Wednesday, September 8,” Morris wrote.