Students over the age of 2 will be required to wear face coverings for nearly the entire school day under Pennsylvania’s universal mask order, according to a Department of Education memo released this week.
There will be a limited number of instances in which students will be allowed to remove their face coverings, according to the memo. These include while eating or drinking, or during an activity that makes mask-wearing unsafe. Students can also take their masks off during 10-minute “face-covering breaks.”
“For the safety of students, staff and families and to avoid community spread of COVID-19, students and staff are considered to be members of the public who are congregating in indoor locations. As such, they are required to adhere to this Order,” the Department of Education said.
The order is in effect for students, staff and teachers. It also applies to student athletes whenever they are not “actively engaged” in a game or workout.
Health officials recommended school districts enforce mask-wearing on school buses, in addition to during the school day.
Students can only opt out with documentation showing they have a medical or mental health condition that prevents them from wearing a mask, according to the memo.
Masks will be a requirement until Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine deems it is safe to loosen the restriction, education officials said.
Pennsylvania’s universal mask order, which went into effect July 1, mandates masks be worn in any public setting. At the time, Gov. Tom Wolf said mask-wearing could be a requirement in Pennsylvania until a coronavirus vaccine is available.
Health officials last month urged teachers and staff to set a good example while acknowledging the challenges of receiving universal student compliance.
“Given that children and adolescents may experience challenges in effectively adhering to recommendations, it is critical that staff set a good example for students by modeling behaviors around physical distancing, face coverings and hand hygiene,” the Department of Health said.
The state is also asking schools to follow social distancing guidelines and limit the interactions between groups of students.
Each school district was required to submit individual safety proposals, but the state’s face mask and social distancing guidelines apply across the Commonwealth.
More information on the phased reopening of Pennsylvania schools is available on the Department of Health’s website.
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