Ohio K-12 students to wear face masks this fall; some school sports still in limbo

All K-12 students will be required to wear face coverings this fall to combat the coronavirus. The state is still working on guidelines for school sports in the COVID-19 era.

All students from kindergarten through 12th grade will be required to wear face masks this academic year and fall school sports still remain up in the air.

Gov. Mike DeWine on Tuesday said he and the Ohio Department of Health will issue a new student mask order that will provide exemptions for some students including those with disabilities. Last month DeWine announced teachers and other school employees would be required to wear face coverings.

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The governor also announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency will distribute 2 million masks to be used in schools in Ohio for this coming academic year.

When it comes to school sports and other extracurricular activities, DeWine said he simply doesn’t know what the fall will hold. Their status, the governor said, will depend on the level of community spread of COVID-19 in each reach of the state.

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Separately, DeWine said he would send a letter to houses of worship in the state in the coming days with recommendations for how they can still hold services safely. Religious gatherings have been exempt from Ohio’s COVID-19 restrictions.

But, on Tuesday, the governor said that COVID-19 can “spread like wildfire” in churches, mosques and synagogues. He called the evidence that it can spread in indoor places of worship “very, very scary.”

“We know our faith-based leaders want nothing more than to protect the people who come to worship,” DeWine said.

https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200804/coronavirus-ohio-k-12-students-to-wear-face-masks-this-fall-some-school-sports-still-in-limbo