CLEVELAND — As back-to-school season approaches, more and more districts are determining how they will operate.
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District announced Monday that all students and staff will be required to wear masks when in-person classes resume in the fall, regardless of whether or not they are vaccinated.
The announcement, made by the district’s CEO Eric Gordon in a post to social media, comes on the heels of recently updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in regard to COVID-19 prevention in schools.
That guidance states everyone above the age of 2 must wear a mask if they are not fully vaccinated, especially when inside and in an area where social distancing is not possible.
Gordon’s announcement comes days after Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed a bill banning all public schools and universities in the state from requiring individuals to receive vaccines not granted full approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
In central Ohio, information released on June 16 from Columbus City Schools says that masks will be permitted, but not required when classes resume.
“Throughout the pandemic, we have become accustomed to changing course based on the data and guidance at hand,” CCS Superintendent Dr. Talisa Dixon said at the time. “As we prepare for the next school year, this need to be nimble in our planning has not changed.”
Governor DeWine has hinted at the release of updated school guidance, saying Tuesday the Ohio Department of Health should provide those updates in the coming days.
