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Pennsylvania Mandates Masks In K-12 Schools, Day Cares

WPSU | By MARC LEVY, MICHAEL RUBINKAM and MARK SCOLFORO
Published August 31, 2021 at 3:13 PM EDT
Students waking in the hallway at Tibbals Elementary School place their arms in front as a reminder to socially distance in Murphy, Texas, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020. Texas Gov. Greg Abbot's statewide mask order does not mandate face covering for children under the age of 10, allowing some school districts to not require masks for children leaving the choice of mask use up to the parents. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
LM Otero/AP
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AP
Students waking in the hallway at Tibbals Elementary School place their arms in front as a reminder to socially distance in Murphy, Texas, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf says that masks will be required in all Pennsylvania K-12 schools, starting next week.

The Department of Health order will take effect Tuesday, Sept. 7. It will require students, teachers and staff to wear masks when inside, regardless of vaccination status. The order will not apply to student athletes while they’re playing.

Wolf and administration officials made the announcement Tuesday afternoon. The state is taking action amid a statewide resurgence of COVID-19 that is filling hospital beds just as students return to class.