Masks help keep schools open, CDC finds

WASHINGTON — Mask mandates keep the coronavirus from spreading in schools, according to three studies published on Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings call into question continued efforts by some Republican governors to fight mask mandates in schools.

One of the three studies compared masking policies in Maricopa and Pima counties, the largest in Arizona. In both counties, some school districts imposed mask mandates while others did not. Those that did saw far lower likelihood of the coronavirus spreading among students.

“The odds of a school-associated COVID-19 outbreak in schools with no mask requirement were 3.7 times higher than those in schools with an early mask requirement,” the CDC analysis concluded.

Gov. Doug Ducey has banned mask mandates, but some Arizona school districts have implemented them anyway. A similar tension in Florida has led to two school districts having the pay of school board members docked by Gov. Ron DeSantis, an opponent of mask mandates.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/masks-help-keep-schools-open-cdc-finds-181915677.html