Gloucester County Public Schools is planning to announce an update on its masking protocols by the end of the week in response to newly inaugurated Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Executive Order Number 2 which terminates former Gov. Ralph Northam’s mask mandate in public schools.

“The executive order indicates that parents may elect for their children not to be subject to any mask mandate in effect at the child’s school or educational program,” stated Walter R. Clemons, Ph.D, GCPS Division Superintendent, in an all-call message Monday night.

“GCPS is carefully reviewing this information, and will provide an update on the protocols that we will follow by the end of the week,” said Clemons. “I anticipate that we will receive additional information and guidance this week from the Virginia Department of Health, the Virginia Department of Education, and learn what implications there are from Senate Bill 1303 in relation to the executive order.”

He said that the school division “will contin...