The Maricopa County Department of Public Health issued new guidance Monday for face masks in school settings as schools and parents get ready for potential in-person classes in August.

The department said the guidance is based on updated guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The guidelines are recommendations, and not a mandate, the department said. 

Under the guidance, all students, staff and visitors should wear face coverings in indoor and outdoor school settings. That includes school buses and other public transportation vehicles. The guidance makes exceptions for certain circumstances including:

• Individuals who have a medical or behavioral condition or disability and cannot wear a face covering (including, but not limited to, any person who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious or incapacitated, or is otherwise unable to put on or remove the face covering without assistance).
• When actively eating or drinking.
• When strenuously exercising or swimming.
• When seeking to communicate with someone with hearing loss in a way that requires the mouth to be visible.
• When working at home or when in a vehicle alone or with household members.
• An individual may temporarily remove a face covering for identification purposes or medical services.
• Children under 2 years of age should not wear a face covering.

The department strongly recommends that cloth face coverings be provided for staff, students and other adults and that disposable face covering be provided for staff, visitors or students who do not have one when they arrive at school. 

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