DeWine: Mask mandate for K-12 students in Ohio will be signed Thursday
COLUMBUS (WCMH) — Governor Mike DeWine says he will be signing a mask mandate, Thursday, for all K-12 students in Ohio.
DeWine originally made the announcement during a briefing Aug. 4 that he would be signing the Ohio Department of Health the order mandating mask wearing for students in K-12 under the guidance of the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association and Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics..
During Thursday’s COVID-19 update, DeWine mentioned that several educators had asked him when the mask mandate would be issued, and he responded that it would be coming that day.
Ohio’s mask mandate had previously only applied to children 10 years of age and older.
Exceptions to the mask mandate include:
- children under the age of 2
- children who cannot remove a face covering without assistance
- children with significant behavioral/psychological issue undergoing treatment that is exacerbated specifically by the use of a facial covering
- children living with severe autism or with extreme developmental delay who may become agitated or anxious wearing a mask
- children with facial deformity that causes airway obstruction
DeWine said Ohio is working with FEMA to distribute 2 million masks to schools for use by students and staff.