Masks will be required in all schools in Philadelphia archdiocese
The requirement applies to schools in the city and the suburban counties.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is requiring masks inside all of its schools to start the 2021-2022 school year.
This applies to schools in the city and the suburban counties.
Students, faculty, staff and visitors will be expected to wear face coverings beginning with the first day, which is after Labor Day.
The archdiocese says the mask policy will be reviewed every two weeks based on the level of community transmission. Officials acknowledge that may vary from county to county.
"We realize that this may be difficult for our school families, however we are committed to our students' academic, faith, social, and emotional development. Please be assured that we are doing our best to meet the varied needs," said Ken Gavin, spokesperson for the archdiocese.
The archdiocese does not have a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for employees but strongly encourages them to get vaccinated.
It's a different story for Philadelphia's public schools.
On Tuesday night, the Philadelphia School Board voted unanimously to mandate that its 20,000 teachers and staff members be vaccinated against COVID-19.
