May 24, 2021, 12:55 PM
(From NPR) New research released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention compares COVID-19 infection rates across 169 K-5 schools. Between Nov. 16 and Dec. 11, researchers found that infection rates were 37% lower in schools where teachers and staff members were required to wear masks. The difference between schools that did and did not require students to wear masks was not statistically significant. The most recent report tallies with a previous CDC study, of schools in Florida, that also found "a strong association with student mask requirements and lower rates of infections in students."
The news comes as Texas governor Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that public schools can no longer require masks on their campuses starting June 5. The decision was part of a new executive order that bans government entities in Texas — like cities and counties — from mandating masks in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
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