Gov. Eric Holcomb won’t reimpose any mask mandates in Hoosier schools, only urging students, teachers and staff to mask up amid a surge of COVID-19.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidance Tuesday that recommends anyone in a school setting – even vaccinated people – wear a mask as the delta variant drives up cases around the country.
READ MORE: No Face Masks In Class? Here’s Marion County Schools' COVID-19 Protocols
Indiana previously required masks in schools before rescinding that order after June.
Holcomb said he recommends “taking every safe step possible” to keep children in school.
“We’ve seen what a whacking our kiddos have taken with the pandemic over this last year in terms of learning loss, etc.," Holcomb said. "And so, we don’t want to watch the same movie again.”
Masks will still be required on school buses, under federal rules. Individual school districts can decide whether to require face coverings in school buildings.
Contact reporter Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.
