COVID

Masks are no longer required on school buses as DPH updates its state-wide mask advisory

Masks are still required in some other public spaces, however.

A student rides alone on the school bus after school has ended for the day in Boston on March 4, 2021. David L Ryan/Globe Staff

By Christopher Gavin

1 minute to read
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Students are no longer required to wear masks on school buses after the Massachusetts Department of Public Health updated its advisory in accordance with the latest requirements from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“As of Feb. 25, the CDC is no longer requiring that masks be worn on school buses or vans for K-12 students and children in childcare programs,” the DPH said in an update on Tuesday. “The Departments of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and Early Education and Care (EEC) have since updated their guidance.”

The move comes in tandem with the state lifting its mandate requiring masks be worn in schools — a rule lifted on Monday as students and teachers returned from winter vacation.

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However, although face coverings are not required in most K-12 schools across the state, some districts, including Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville, have opted to keep the rule in place for the time being.

Under the state’s mask advisory, face coverings are not required in most settings, though there are exceptions.

Masks are still required on public transportation and other transit services such as rideshares, and in healthcare facilities, congregate care facilities, shelters, and correctional facilities, among other venues.

“Recognizing that Massachusetts is a national leader in vaccine acceptance, and in light of recent positive progress on COVID-19 indicators, the Department of Public Health now advises that a fully vaccinated person should wear a mask or face covering when indoors (and not in your own home) if you have a weakened immune system, or if you are at increased risk for severe disease because of your age or an underlying medical condition, or if someone in your household has a weakened immune system, is at increased risk for severe disease or is unvaccinated,” the DPH said in its update Tuesday.

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