Minnesota K-12 students should wear masks in school this upcoming year, even if vaccinated. That's the message from the Minnesota health and education departments today, supporting the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC issued the guidance Tuesday, as cases of the Delta variant of COVID-19 continued to spike in many parts of the country.
The guidance from the state today says all students, teachers, staff and visitors to school buildings should wear masks indoors "regardless of vaccination status." The guidance also says all people age 12 and older should get vaccinate before returning to school, sports, or other activities.
“In-person learning is critical, not only when it comes to academics, but also for our students’ social-emotional well-being and mental health,” said Minnesota Education Commissioner Dr. Heather Mueller. “As we head back to school this fall, we must implement measures to protect the health and safety of all of our students, staff and families.”
But these are only recommendations and there is no mandate to force masking of students. Still, the health and education departments say the recommendations are designed to support local school boards and administrators as they make decisions for the upcoming school year.
Minnesota continues to see a rise in cases and hospitalizations due to COVID, mainly the result of the highly transmissible Delta variant. 625 new cases were reported Wednesday by the Minnesota Department of Health.