DeWine: Nearly 58% of Ohio students are under local mandatory mask requirement

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced Friday that nearly 58% of Ohio’s public K-12 students are required by their local school to wear masks in schools.

On September 1, only 35% of Ohio students were required to wear a mask.

“I am pleased to see more school superintendents and school boards make the right decision and require masks to protect students and teachers from COVID-19 spread,” said DeWine. “We share a common goal of ensuring kids are in school, in person, five days a week. While vaccinations remain the best protection against severe COVID-19 cases, masking will help protect those that can’t yet receive the vaccine and adds another layer of protection for those that have.”

The governor said the mask policies are working to limit the spread of COVID-19.

“In Ohio school districts where masks are optional, case rates are higher than in districts that require some masking, and we see better week-to-week trends in schools where everyone wears a mask. Most importantly, there have been fewer quarantines in schools where everyone wears a mask, helping us towards meeting the goal of keeping Ohio children in the classroom,” DeWine’s office said in a news release.

Get the latest news delivered to your inbox.

Sign Up For Free