State Officials Reverse Course, Clarify Mask Mandate For Schools

California has revised its COVID guidelines for schools and it's sparking confusion among the public. State health officials are backtracking after releasing updated guidelines Monday telling schools they must send students home if they refuse to wear a mask. The policy came across as "banning" kids from school so the state has rewritten it, giving school districts the responsibility on how to enforce the mask mandate. However, they did not revise the fact the state is still requiring masks indoors at school at all times. The CDC has recently put out guidance for masks in schools, saying students and teachers who are vaccinated do not need to wear a mask, but that is it best of they still social distance of at least 3 feet. In a trade-off, California decided to still require masks while opting out of the social distancing, thinking masks are easier to enforce. It still puts the school districts in a tough spot in how the schools and teachers enforce the mask mandate. The state's health department will continue to monitor pandemic conditions and plans to review the rules and possibly change them by November 1st.