Parents plead with Gov. Baker to ease mask restrictions for outdoor youth sports, camps

BOSTON — Parents are pleading with Governor Baker to ease mask restrictions for children when it comes to outdoor youth sports and camps.

The grassroots group Bring Kids Back MA, which has more than 5,000 members, sent a letter to the Governor asking the state to drop its outdoor mask requirements for children during summer camps, youth sports, recess and more, even when social distancing may not be possible.

“Outdoor and in the summertime, it’s awful, and I hear my kids talk about it. It’s sweaty, they’re not getting fresh air into their lungs, it’s hot sticky air,” said Antigone Grasso, of the organizers of Bring Kids Back MA. “The children have been unnecessarily burdened by a lot of the policies that have been implemented.”

In its petition, the group wrote, “Across a variety of contexts designed to support their growth and development, children are being held to stricter health and safety protocols than adults in our state, and greater restrictions than children in many other states. This has been a long year for everyone; but after doing all that has been asked of them during the pandemic, the children of Massachusetts deserve better.”

Last week the state eased its outdoor mask mandate, but kept it in place for youth sports and camps. Bring Back Kids MA says the science doesn’t support the restrictions. They argue that outdoor transmission remains extremely low -- children are less likely to contract and be sick with the virus -- and say with a majority of adults in the state having received at least one dose of the vaccine, it’s safe to be maskless at camps and outdoor sports.

“When you put these three components together, who are we protecting by having them wear mask in a very low risk environment being outdoors,” said Grasso. “The WHO has said for months shouldn’t be wearing masks outside during physical activity, other states have lifted the mask mandate for children.

The group also argued that every other New England state has already lifted the mask mandate for outdoor youth sports.

On Thursday, Governor Baker said he hadn’t yet had a chance to read the group’s letter, but did respond.

“As I said, our door’s open, we read what we get, we talk to people all the time, we have medical advisory board that’s been incredibly valuable to us. And in many cases has put us in a position to make better decisions of people have made in other places. But we’ll certainly take a look at the information that’s been made available there, and if we think we need to make a change, we will,” said Baker.