First grade students at a Catholic elementary school on the first day of classes in Boston, Massachusetts, on Sept. 7, 2021. Photo: Allison Dinner/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Massachusetts will lift its school mask mandate at the end of the month, the state's department of elementary and secondary education said Wednesday.
Why it matters: It's the latest state to move to drop masking requirements as year two of the pandemic wears on.
- New Jersey, Delaware and Connecticut have rolled back mask mandates in schools in recent days.
Driving the news: The statewide school mask mandate will be lifted Feb. 28, according to Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley.
- "With Massachusetts a national leader in vaccinating kids, combined with our robust testing programs, it is time to lift the mask mandate in schools and give students and staff a sense of normalcy after dealing with enormous challenges over the past two years," Governor Charlie Baker (R) said in a statement.
- Masks will also no longer be required for all licensed child care providers at the end of the month, according to the announcement.
- School districts where 80% of staff and students are vaccinated will no longer need to request a waiver to remove masks in schools.
Between the lines: A "school district could establish a local requirement" for masks, according to the education department.
- Masks will still be required on all school buses per federal order, officials said.
The bottom line: "During the past two years, the impact of COVID-19 on children has caused a strain on their mental health, emotional well-being and academic success," Riley said in a statement.
- "We are relieved to now be in a place where we can provide young people additional relief from COVID-19 restrictions so they can continue to return to normalcy in the classroom."
Go deeper: Blue states move to drop mask mandates