FAQ: What to Know About Youngkin Lifting the School Mask Mandate

An executive order by new Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin says parents "may elect for their children not to be subject to any mask mandate in effect at the child’s school or educational program.” A number of school districts say their mask mandates will stay in place

By Andrea Swalec and Gina Cook • Published January 17, 2022 • Updated on January 21, 2022 at 2:25 pm

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, an Arlington County parent, chimed in online and thanked the school district for “standing up for our kids, teachers and administrators and their safety in the midst of a transmissible variant.”

What We Know About Masks in Schools and Virginia COVID Statistics

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that students 2 and older, school staff and visitors wear masks in all K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.

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Research continues to show that masks are an effective way to reduce COVID transmission in schools, Linsey Marr, a Virginia Tech professor and engineer who specializes in airborne transmission of infectious diseases, previously told News4.

“This is an especially important time for us to be wearing better masks like an N95 because we’re in the middle of a huge surge in omicron, and omicron is so much more transmissible than the other variants we’ve seen,” Marr said on Jan. 13 in video footage released by Virginia Tech. Her comments were unrelated to Youngkin’s plans.

COVID cases and hospitalizations climbed dramatically in the state over the past month and appear to be declining. Now-former Gov. Ralph Northam issued an emergency order last week to boost hospital staff and increase capacity. Youngkin said he supported the order.