Philly schools to drop mask mandate Wednesday

Yes, but: Masks are still required indoors for pre-kindergarten students and staff in the district's Head Start programs for low-income families due to federal mandates.

• There will also be a temporary return to mandatory masking for students and staff after spring break from April 18-22.

Between the lines: Schools can maintain their own mask mandates.

• Hite acknowledged some students will opt to continue to wear a mask.
• "Do what is best for you and your child — and respect everyone's right to do the same, even if their choice differs from yours," Hite wrote.

Flashback: The city ditched its indoor mask mandate for public places, like restaurants and businesses, last week as COVID cases and hospitalizations plummeted from a recent surge fueled by the Omicron variant.

Of note: Mask mandates remain in effect at health care institutions and on public transportation.