Officials Say In-Person Learning Now 'Expected' For Most Mass. Communities

Health officials are now expecting schools in more than 350 Massachusetts cities and towns to have students return to in-person class rooms full-time.

Governor Charlie Baker announced the expectation to reopen schools along with a major change to Massachusetts' weekly COVID-19 risk map data during a press conference Friday alongside health and education officials, WCVB reports. The state's COVID-19 risk map showed a major decrease in communities listed as "red" or "high-risk" from 121 to 16.

The map is scheduled to be published for the public on Friday evening, according to WCVB. Governor Baker and health and education officials found in-person learning didn't lead to an increase in COVID-19 transmission as 450,000 public school students attended in-person school last week and the state only reported 252 confirmed cases to students and staff.

"We continue to see too many communities with students learning in remote-only models," Baker said via WCVB. "Not being in school poses significant risk for kids, both related to COVID and related to other health concerns- like depression, anxiety and others. In Rhode Island, students learning remotely tested positive at a higher rate than students attending classes."

"Our understanding of the virus continues to evolve. Studies have shown there is low transmission in schools even in communities where there are high rates of COVID," added Health and Human Services secretary Marylou Sudders.

Education Secretary James Peyser said school districts in the new "gray" "green" and "yellow" categories on the state's weekly COVID-19 risk map are now "expected" to prioritize in-person learning across all categories unless transmission is reported to have come from classrooms, while schools are advised to adhere to social distancing in classrooms with students and teachers standing at least three feet apart, wearing masks and other procedures.