Virginia will require everyone inside K-12 schools to wear a mask as COVID-19 cases surge just as back-to-school season ramps up.
A public health emergency order announced by Gov. Ralph Northam on Thursday applies to everyone 2 and older who is indoors at a public or private school.
"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 in a statement. “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."
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The policy represents a major shift since July 21, when Northam announced that masks were strongly recommended inside schools but gave them the flexibility to make their own rules.
The order means that school districts that said masking is optional, including Fauquier County, will be compelled to comply.
Almost all Virginia counties have high or substantial spread of COVID-19 within communities, which means the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends masks for everyone over 2 in indoor, public settings.
More and more Virginians are getting diagnosed with COVID-19 every day; the seven-day average of new cases has increased more than sixfold in the past month, from 237 to 1,820.
Hospitalizations have more than doubled since July 11.
The change comes after some school districts in Northern Virginia already started for the year.
Spotsylvania County students headed back to class Thursday, hours after the school board voted to stop allowing families to opt-out of masking for religious reasons.
"We want to work with folks," Superintendent Scott Baker said. "We know this constant shifting back and forth can be difficult."
