Ohio's top doc warns schools not to drop COVID mask requirements too early

Now that all K-12 students can get vaccines, and the state’s COVID positive rate has gone down a bit from last month, some schools are changing their mask policies. But state health leaders are urging them not to do that yet.

In the last week nearly 40 school districts, including Lancaster, Perrysburg, Bucyrus, and Nordonia Hills, have dropped their requirement that students wear masks indoors. But Ohio Department of Health Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff says the COVID rate is still high.

“It’s still incredibly important for schools, parents, and schools, therefore, to think about the importance of masking because the vaccinated children will not be protected for some weeks to come,” Vanderhoff says.

Vanderhoff explains the pediatric version of the Pfizer vaccine requires two shots – one given three weeks after the first. And it takes another two weeks after that to be considered fully vaccinated.

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