Under updated Pennsylvania guidelines, students over the age of 2 are required to wear masks in school all day.
There are only three reasons kids would be allowed to take masks off: When eating or drinking, during “face-covering breaks” that are no longer than 10 minutes, or when a mask would create an unsafe condition, such as when equipment is being operated.
State Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said the updated rules are really a clarification of the guidance that was issued in July.
“What we have heard is that some of the language wasn’t as clear as it could be, and so we wanted to make sure that we were as clear as possible,” Levine said.
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Students with a documented physical or mental health condition can be exempted from the mask requirement.
At a news conference on Tuesday, Levine said it’s clear that young people can spread COVID-19, and the aim of the mask rule is to control outbreaks of the virus.