Virginia Gov. Northam Mandates Masks in Private and Public K-12 Schools
Virginia | August 13, 2021
Governor Ralph Northam mandated masks at indoor settings for all people over age two at public and private K-12 schools in Virginia.
Northam said in a Thursday announcement, “This Public Health Order makes it very clear that masks are required in all indoor K-12 settings, and Virginia expects all schools to comply.”
“We know that masking is an effective tool to prevent the spread of COVID-19, particularly among children who are not yet eligible for vaccination,” Virginia Health Commissioner Dr. Norm Oliver said. “As cases rise in our communities, universal masking and other mitigation measures will ensure our schools continue to be the safest place for Virginia’s children.”
School Masking Guidance Shifts
At the end of July, Northam issued guidance giving local schools discretion about masking policy, although the guidelines followed CDC recommendations that everyone wear masks until the COVID-19 vaccine is available for students less than 12 years old and they have had time to get the vaccine.
Then, amid rising concerns about a more-contagious variant of COVID-19 called the Delta variant, on August 7 Northam made an announcement ordering school districts to implement mask mandates. On August 6, a report from the University of Virginia Biocomplexity Institute warned that current trajectories indicate that cases will exceed a peak in last January, and said vaccines are the best defense against the Delta variant. However, the report notes that even if vaccine acceptance increases to 85 percent of Virginia’s adult population by Labor Day, vaccines need time to take effect…. (Excerpts from the Virginia Star)