Masks No Longer Required On Massachusetts School Buses

MASSACHUSETTS — Masks are no longer required on school buses in Massachusetts, public health officials said.

Massachusetts dropped the statewide mask mandate in classrooms on Monday, and on Tuesday, the Department of Public Health said students didn't need them on school buses either.

Masks are still required in some settings, including on public transit and in health care facilities, the state Department of Public Health said. But as of Tuesday, they are not mandated on school buses or vans transporting public school students or children in childcare programs.

Some school districts are continuing to keep the mask mandate, at least temporarily. Boston Public Schools will keep its mandate in play as students return from February vacation, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said, even though the city itself will drop its mask mandate on Saturday.

Both Springfield and Worcester will reevaluate their mask mandates for school districts this month.

On Friday, the CDC updated its own mask guidance, saying that the face coverings should only now be required indoors in high-risk communities, which represent about 28% of the country.