Ohio Department of Health recommends masks for unvaccinated individuals in schools

COLUMBUS – At a press conference on Monday, Ohio Department of Health Chief Medical Officer Bruce Vanderhoff, MD shared COVID-19 health guidance for the 2021-22 school year.

The guidance was shared in these three parts,

1) All staff and eligible students get the COVID-19 vaccine.

2) All individuals who are unvaccinated wear a face mask.

3) Schools take additional measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Those measures include improved ventilation, social distancing, and hand sanitization.

The guidance is only recommendations and not requirements or mandates. The decision to follow it will most likely be left up to local schools districts.

At the press conference, Vanderhoff also spoke about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine. He said “More than 5.3 million Ohioans and 161 million people in the United States are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. No corners were cut in the vaccine development process, but red tape was.”

You can watch the full press conference below.