Wolf Administration will not require Pa. students to wear masks in school despite CDC recommendation

Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration is not considering reinstating a statewide mandate for mask wearing in K-12 schools despite Tuesday’s updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommending everyone in schools wear masks regardless of their vaccination status, according to a spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

However, department spokeswoman Kendall Alexander said the administration is recommending Pennsylvanians including schools follow that guidance.

“Further, businesses, and local governments may adopt stricter COVID prevention strategies, including mask requirements,” Alexander said. “The administration continues to encourage all eligible individuals to get fully vaccinated to protect themselves and their loved ones.”

With infection rates of the Delta variant rising, the CDC is urging vaccinated people in places with high levels of infection to resume wearing masks to protect themselves from the highly virulent strain of the coronavirus. At last check, no Pennsylvania school district was requiring masks to be worn inside buildings although some were strongly recommending it or indicated they would support those who chose to wear a mask.

Many districts also indicated they would follow CDC guidance by requiring students to wear masks on school buses. However, Carlisle Area School District in southcentral Pennsylvania was reported to have taken the position not to mandate masks in its buses. Other districts said they were still trying to decide on what their policy would be with regard to facial coverings on school transportation.

Pennsylvania reported 986 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, more than six times the daily average of early July. Hospitalizations also are rising with 430 people hospitalized, up from about 260 at the beginning of last week. The number in intensive care rose to 97, up from 86 on Monday.

As of early Tuesday just short of 63% of Pennsylvanians 18 or older are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

“Pennsylvania has made tremendous strides in vaccinating individuals aged 12 years and older,” Alexander said. “Additionally, data has shown that there is a correlation between increased vaccination rates and lower COVID-19 case counts. We cannot stress the importance of eligible Pennsylvanians getting vaccinated to stop the spread of COVID-19.”

Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy.

READ MORE: Central Pa. school districts plan for return of kids: What you should know about masks, seating and buses

©2021 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit pennlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.