FILE PHOTO: Kids play on a playground at Edwin D. Smith Elementary School ahead of the statewide school closures in Ohio in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus, inside Dayton, Ohio, U.S., March 13, 2020. REUTERS/Kyle Grillot
By Rich McKay
(Reuters) – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine ordered on Tuesday that all children in grades K-12 wear masks at public schools that reopen.
Local school districts can still decide when to reopen and if learning will be done in person, online or a mix of the two, but everyone, including children and staff, must wear masks. Previously, masks were ordered only for adults.
“School districts are making decisions about how to come back,” DeWine, a Republican, said. “Each school district faces a different reality.”
There are exceptions to the order, including children with autism or other conditions that make it difficult to wear masks, he said.
The state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will distribute 2 million face masks to Ohio schools for use by staff and students.
“This move gives us the best shot to keep Ohio’s kids and educators safe and physically in school,” DeWine said.
(Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Chris Reese and Leslie Adler)
