Based on recent guidance from the CDC, school officials are recommending students, faculty and staff to ditch cloth masks and choose from these options:
[Ads /]
1. Three-ply surgical masks
2. KN-95 masks or
3. N-95 respirators
Temple Health Dr. Delana Wardlaw says she thinks this is an appropriate step.
"We do know with this omicron variant there were a large number of children affected and we still know there is a large percentage of children under 12 that are not vaccinated," Dr. Wardlaw said.
RELATED: Philadelphia School District changes mask policy, says cloth coverings alone are not acceptable
[Ads /]
Philadelphia School District changes mask policy, says cloth coverings alone are not acceptable
The school district says those who insist on wearing a cloth mask should double-up with a three-ply disposable mask, which the district provides.
Starting February 7, all district schools and offices will be provided a supply of adult KN95 masks to distribute to staff who may want them.
"We've done a very effective job in keeping the transmission rate in our schools down but also keeping our staff and students safe so we can have in-person learning," said district spokesperson Monica Lewis.
Temple University also adopted a similar mask policy as the Philadelphia School District.