The State of Delaware will require face masks inside its buildings as a surge in Covid-19 cases continues.
As expected, Gov. John Carney ordered masking for students and staff at public and private schools in Delaware regardless of vaccination status.
Northern Delaware’s Christiana School District, the second-largest in the state in enrollment, approved a mask update last week.
Child care centers and homes were “strongly encouraged” to require masks for children 2 years old to kindergarten inside their facilities to prevent the spread of Covid-19. However, children younger than two should not wear masks due to the risk of suffocation.
The statewide mask requirement in schools, to be put in writing later this week, is consistent with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Delaware has made progress in vaccinations, with 73.7 percent of adults, and 71.6 percent of those 12 and older, receiving at least one dose of vaccine.
Those under 12 are not expected to be cleared for vaccine until later in the year.
Delaware and other states have struggled with a low vaccination rate among those between 18 to 35. That group has seen a rising number of Covid-19 cases.
“There’s no higher priority than getting all Delaware children back in their classrooms full-time this fall,” said Carney. “This consistent, statewide approach will help students, educators, and staff return to school safely and without disruption. Vaccination remains the best way to finally put an end to this pandemic. These Covid-19 vaccines are free, safe, and highly effective against Covid-19 infection and serious illness.”
The decision by Carney is likely to result in pushback from some parents opposed to mandatory masking.
In Florida, currently an epicenter of the pandemic, Gov. Ron DeSantis has threatened to punish school districts that mandate masks.
In some areas of the nation, teachers’ unions, have sought to have mask requirements become part of labor negotiations.
