Officials Recommend Covid Masks for Students in all Schools

SAN ANGELO,TX – New COVID-19 guidance set out by the American Academy of Pediatrics supports face masks for everyone in schools over the age of 2 and in-person learning.

The guidance says “The AAP believes that, at this point in the pandemic, given what we know about low rates of in-school transmission when proper prevention measures are used, together with the availability of effective vaccines for those age 12 years and up, that the benefits of in-school outweighs the risks of all circumstances.”

This would include all school staff as well unless they have medical or developmental  conditions that prevent them from wearing masks.

The AAP also recommended that all eligible individuals get vaccinated as well as having testing resources available.

Several reasons for this include: a portion of students not eligible for the vaccine; masks protect the unvaccinated from COVID-19; and the difficulty enforcing a mask policy for those who are unvaccinated.

The guidance also says “"With the above principles in mind, the AAP strongly advocates that all policy considerations for school COVID-19 plans should start with a goal of keeping students safe and physically present in school. The importance of in-person learning is well-documented, and there is already evidence of the negative impacts on children because of school closures in 2020."