CDC Recommends US Schools Continue to Use Masks

A child puts her mask back on after finishing lunch at a socially distanced table in the cafeteria of Medora Elementary School in Louisville, Ky., on March 17, 2021. Jon Cherry/Getty Images

Schools in the United States should continue to use masks for the 2020–21 academic year as not all students will be fully vaccinated, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on May 15.

In its latest guidance, the CDC said all K–12 schools “should implement and layer prevention strategies and should prioritize universal and correct use of masks and physical distancing.”