Should all Oak Ridge students wear masks?
Masks or other face coverings are currently optional for students at Oak Ridge Schools.
However, Oak Ridge residents, including parents and one grandparent, spoke up at Monday night s Oak Ridge Board of Education meeting. They spoke in favor of the students wearing masks in schools.
Some cited the spread of the delta variant of COVID-19 and the increase in virus cases in Anderson County. Things are moving rapidly, said Linda Pelech, grandmother of two Oak Ridge elementary school children.
The Tennessee Department of Health website Monday showed COVID-19 cases across the state increased by 1,716 and nine infected people had died. In Anderson County, as of Monday there were 169 active cases and the total deaths from the novel coronavirus stood at 179, having increased by four or more over the last several weeks. In neighboring Roane County, active cases totaled 185 and deaths 110.