Masks no longer required on Brunswick, Columbus County Schools buses

CAPE FEAR REGION, N.C. (WECT) - Brunswick County voted Tuesday and Columbus County School Board voted at a special meeting Friday to drop the mask requirement on school buses.

The decision comes after the Center for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidelines Friday, February 25 to remove the requirement to wear masks on buses or vans operated by public or private school systems and in early childhood education programs.

The update aligns with updated guidance that removed the mandate for universal indoor mask wearing in K-12 schools and early education settings in areas with a low or medium COVID-19 community risk level.

Earlier this week, New Hanover County, Bladen County and Pender County lifted mask mandates on school buses.

The CDC updated its map Friday and currently, in the five-county region, New Hanover, Brunswick, and Pender counties are measuring high COVID-19 community risk level; Bladen and Columbus counties are showing a medium COVID-19 community risk level, according to the CDC map.

The CDC recommends it is safe for people in counties measuring low or medium risk to remove their masks; whereas, people in counties measuring high risk should remain masked.

According to the CDC, individual school systems may still require masks on buses or vans.

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