The Los Angeles Unified School District is now requiring all students to wear “well-fitted, non-cloth masks with a nose wire” throughout the whole school day, including when being outdoors. The LAUSD has prohibited students from wearing cloth masks. Surgical masks or higher-grade masks like KN-95 masks are recommended for students.
Shannon Haber, a spokesperson for the LAUSD commented on this new rule stating:
“Our in-school [coronavirus infection] rates have dropped but we are continuing to be diligent and agile in creating the safest learning environment,”
For the students that have a disability, medical or mental health condition that will not allow them to comply with these new masking rules, exemptions are available for them. Dr. Smitha Malhotra, the LAUSD’s medical director, discussed these exemptions by saying:
“If students have mask exemptions, this does not apply to them. Otherwise, it applies to all students,”
If you recall, Los Angeles health officials are urging residents to switch their masks to higher grade masks like N95 or KN-95 masks, making the point clear that people need tighter-fitting masks with filtration that will ultimately protect them from the Omicron variant that is spreading across Los Angeles at a rapid pace.