(Youtube Screenshot / Brophy Prep) PHOENIX – Starting next month, students, teachers and employees of a prestigious private school in Phoenix will have to present proof of vaccination or submit negative COVID-19 tests biweekly for personal learning. Brophy Prep, a Catholic school in the center of town, also informed parents in a letter Wednesday that masks are required indoors at all times when classes start on Monday. This restriction will be lifted on September 10th. Outdoor masks are optional, the school said. In June a bill was passed under a state budget bill banning schools in Arizona from wearing masks. It comes into effect on September 28th, but private schools are excluded. The school does not offer hybrid learning opportunities. “Over the past six months, it has become increasingly clear that the most effective way to contain the spread of the virus is to have a vaccinated community. Therefore, from September 13th, all students, teachers and staff must present a vaccination certificate to the school or have themselves regularly tested for COVID, “says the letter from school principal Bob Ryan. He added that starting Monday, for the foreseeable future, any student participating in overnight retreats or school-related trips outside the valley “must have proof of the vaccine on file.” Ryan said the school will continue to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines on isolation and quarantine, which means students who test positive for the Arizona resurgent disease will be required to stay home for 10 days. Unvaccinated students who come into close contact with a positive COVID case must be quarantined. “Last year our community faithfully wore masks every day, not because the mask provided personal protection but because it protected others, and we ask for the same care and attention when it comes to vaccination,” wrote Ryan. Follow @ KTAR923 We’d like to hear from you. Do you have a story idea or a tip? Forward it to the KTAR news team here.
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