The Ohio Department of Health鈥檚 latest COVID guidance for K-12 schools strongly recommends those who can be vaccinated get shots, and masks for those who can鈥檛 or choose not to. But it doesn鈥檛 mandate masks for all, like some individual schools are doing.
Gov. Mike DeWine says when schools required students and staff to wear masks indoors last school year, it worked well at preventing COVID transmission. But he says he cannot do that this year.
鈥淭here is not the appetite in this state today for that kind of mandate," DeWine says.
DeWine says he doesn鈥檛 have the ability to mandate masks in schools. Some districts have already adopted policies requiring masking for this coming school year, but some state lawmakers support legislation that would make it illegal for schools to mandate masks for K-12 staff and students.
