Following the updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations, the Montgomery County Office of Public Health (OPH) has revised its 2021-22 school new masking guidance for COVID-19 mitigation.

The County now recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status in alignment with the CDC.

School leaders and the general public can view school district-level COVID-19 case data on the County’s COVID-19 data hub.

Montgomery County OPH also released new masking guidance for the general public aligned with the CDC’s four levels of COVID-19 community transmission (low, moderate, substantial, and high).

This provides Montco residents and businesses with masking recommendations for indoors and outdoors. It also has guidance for people who are immunocompromised or those with an increased risk of disease.

Montgomery County OPH maintains that vaccination is the most important public health action to end the COVID-19 pandemic and strongly urges all Montgomery County residents to consider getting vaccinated.

The COVID-19 vaccines prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death and they also help reduce the spread of the virus in our communities.

Montgomery County continues to offer multiple vaccine clinics throughout the County at no cost to residents.

or general COVID-19 questions or to register for the vaccine by phone, call the Montgomery County COVID-19 hotline at (833) 875-3967. General questions can also be emailed to covid19@montcopa.org.