Masks Required At All Virginia Schools: Northam

VIRGINIA — Gov. Ralph Northam is requiring universal masking for students, teachers and staff at all public and private schools under a new public health emergency order issued Thursday.

The public health order, signed by Virginia Health Commissioner Norman Oliver, covers grades K-12 and reinforces current state law, which requires Virginia schools to adhere to mitigation strategies outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of July 28, CDC guidelines include universal masking for all students, teachers and staff.

This public health order takes effect immediately and will remain in effect until the CDC guidelines for K-12 schools change or the order is rescinded, according to state officials. The order applies to both vaccinated and unvaccinated students and staff.

Most school districts in Northern Virginia have already announced an indoor mask mandate on its campuses for students, teachers and staff for the beginning of the upcoming school year. Fauquier County was among the jurisdictions in the state planning to make masks optional before Northam announced the issuance of the masking order on Thursday.

“We all share the same goal of keeping our schools open and keeping our students safe,” Northam said in a statement Thursday. “This Public Health Order makes it very clear that masks are required in all indoor K-12 settings, and Virginia expects all schools to comply.”

As of Tuesday, 40.3 percent of 12- to 15-year-olds in Virginia and 51.7 percent of 16- to 17-year-olds in Virginia were fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Children under 12 are not yet eligible to receive any available vaccination, which is one reason CDC updated its guidance to recommend universal masking in all K-12 schools.

“We know that masking is an effective tool to prevent the spread of COVID-19, particularly among children who are not yet eligible for vaccination,” Oliver said. “As cases rise in our communities, universal masking and other mitigation measures will ensure our schools continue to be the safest place for Virginia’s children.”

On Tuesday, Northam signed House Bill 7001, which provides a total of $500 million to improve ventilation and air quality in public schools. Ventilation systems clean and disperse air, decreasing the risk of various airborne illnesses including COVID-19.

Among the exceptions to the mask order are when students, teachers and staff are eating and drinking indoors, along with exercising. When wearing a mask would inhibit the playing of a musical instrument, students and others can remove their masks as long as they remain six feet apart from other people.

Exceptions also apply to people with health conditions or disabilities that prohibit wearing a mask, along with people participating in religious rituals that require the removal of the mask.

"Any person declines to wear a mask because of a medical condition or any person with a sincerely held religious objection to wearing masks in school may request a reasonable accommodation," the order reads.

On July 25, Northam allowed a previous health order mandating masks for all in K-12 schools to expire. Northam said he would let each local school division decide on what preventative measures to have in place.

At an Aug. 5 news conference, Northam said schools should be required to follow the CDC guidance and have a universal mask mandate, but he did not issue a mandate. Most Virginia school divisions announced policies to implement a universal mask mandate, but others, including Fauquier and Hanover counties, did not.

With resistance to a mask mandate in some school divisions, Northam decided to issue the universal mask order for grades K-12 on Thursday.

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