CDC recommends US schools continue to use masks
High school students in Long Beach, California in March 2021 - President Joe Biden has called on US states to get as many adolescents as possible vaccinated by the time schools reopen in fall. (Photo: AFP/Patrick T Fallon)
Schools in the United States should continue to use masks for the 2020-2021 academic year as all students will not be fully vaccinated, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Saturday (May 15).
The CDC in its latest guidance said all kindergarten through grade 12 schools "should implement and layer prevention strategies and should prioritize universal and correct use of masks and physical distancing."
The recommendation comes after the agency on Thursday said fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks outdoors and can avoid wearing them indoors in most places.
The CDC said masks should be worn at all times by all people in school facilities and buses, while maintaining a six foot distance between teachers and students. Earlier this month US regulators authorized Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for use in children as young as 12 years old.
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