California will continue to require that masks be worn indoors in school settings when classrooms open this fall, despite CDC guidance issued Friday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In the updated guidance, CDC said masks should be worn indoors by all individuals (age 2 and older) who are not fully vaccinated. This means fully vaccinated teachers, students and staff can return back to K-12 schools without wearing masks.
CDC also suggested that when it is not possible to maintain a physical distance of at least 3 feet, such as when schools cannot fully re-open while maintaining these distances, it is especially important to layer multiple other prevention strategies, such as indoor masking.
California Health and Human Services said in a statement that “In accordance with CDC guidance, California schools will be safely open for full in-person instruction by prioritizing continued masking and robust testing capacity, while not recommending physical distancing due to the barriers it would present to in-person instruction.”
The health officials said that the mask requirement “also will ensure that all kids are treated the same,” without any stigma attached to those who are vaccinated or unvaccinated.
In accordance with CDC’s guidance, and due to the fact that many of California’s school facilities can’t accommodate physical distancing, the health official said California will layer multiple other prevention strategies, including:
- Continued masking guidance: California will continue to require that masks be worn indoors in school settings, which also will ensure that all kids are treated the same.
- Robust testing program: Every California school has access to free testing through the robust state testing program for schools.
“We applaud the CDC’s commitment to ensuring that schools are fully, safely opened for in-person instruction. Given California’s science-based approach and the fact that the state’s school facilities can’t accommodate physical distancing, we will align with the CDC by implementing multiple layers of mitigation strategies, including continued masking and robust testing capacity,” California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said.
“Masking is a simple and effective intervention that does not interfere with offering full in-person instruction. At the outset of the new year, students should be able to walk into school without worrying about whether they will feel different or singled out for being vaccinated or unvaccinated – treating all kids the same will support a calm and supportive school environment,” Ghaly said.
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