California is reviewing its requirements for mask wearing in K-12 schools

California’s school guidance will be clarified regarding masking enforcement, recognizing local schools’ experience in keeping students and educators safe while ensuring schools fully reopen for in-person instruction,” the CDPH tweeted.

The state guidelines, initially published Monday, July 12, said K-12 students must wear face masks regardless of vaccination status. This is different from the federal guidelines released July 9.

The Centers for Disease Control recently updated its Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools, emphasizing local area monitoring community transmission and revising the COVID-19 prevention strategies for in-person learning, stating only unvaccinated people need to adhere to this requirement.

With this exception, California’s guidance for prevention of COVID-19 in K-12 schools follows the CDC’s announcement that it prioritizes safely returning to in-person learning this school year. Fully vaccinated students, teachers and staff don’t need masks in school, the CDC said.

It also added specifics on “the importance of offering in-person learning, regardless of whether all of the prevention strategies can be implemented at the school.”

Other key takeaways include:

• Vaccination is currently the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Promoting vaccination can help schools safely return to in-person learning as well as extracurricular activities and sports.
• Masks should be worn indoors by all individuals (age 2 and older) who are not fully vaccinated. Consistent and correct mask use by people who are not fully vaccinated is especially important indoors and in crowded settings, when physical distancing cannot be maintained.
• People must allow least 3 feet of physical distance between students within classrooms, combined with indoor mask wearing by people who are not fully vaccinated, to reduce transmission risk.
• Students, teachers, and staff should stay home when they have signs of any infectious illness and be referred to their healthcare provider for testing and care.

The guidelines also stress the importance of screening tests, proper ventilation, the importance of handwashing and respiratory etiquette, and proper cleaning and disinfection of facilities. These are all in place as “important layers of protection to keep schools safe.”

“COVID-19 prevention strategies remain critical to protect people, including students, teachers, and staff, who are not fully vaccinated, especially in areas of moderate-to-high community transmission levels,” CDC officials said.

Photo by Max Fischer from Pexels