Masks Required In Philly Public Schools After Holidays: District

PHILADELPHIA — Masks will be required in all School District of Philadelphia schools after the holiday break, the district said.

From Jan. 3 to Jan. 13, masks will be mandatory across the district.

The mandate is being implemented as "an effort to be proactive in supporting healthy environments and maintaining in-person learning following students and staff returning from winter break."

"This is a proactive measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses in school, reduce absenteeism and prioritize in-person learning after the winter break," the district said Thursday.

District employees, students and families can pick up free at-home COVID-19 test kits at our five school-based testing locations while supplies last.

District-run testing locations will be closed on Dec. 26 and Jan. 2 in observance of the federal holidays.

Testing locations, the most updated COVID-19 data and more information is available online here.