Pa. court overrules mask mandate; governor’s office appeals
BY SAMANTHA ANDERSON
sanderson@tnonline.com
Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court issued a ruling Nov. 10 voiding the Pennsylvania Department of Health order requiring face masks in schools. The Corman et al. Beam case resulted in a decision that the DOH ruling was not valid.
The Aug. 31 order said all students, teachers, staff and visitors must wear face masks while inside K-12 school buildings and child care facilities regardless of vaccination status to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
In response to the court’s ruling, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s office filed an appeal with the state Supreme Court. This appeal triggered a stay of the ruling, which will keep the order in effect.
Guidance from the Pennsylvania Department of Education says schools should continue observing the masking order during the court proceedings until a final decision is reached.
“At this time, no changes have been made to the WCSD health and safety plan, and we will continue to comply with the face covering order,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Steckel Jr. in an email communication with families. “Our continued goal is to have our schools remain open for five days per week of face-to-face instruction.
“We are monitoring the development of this case closely and will provide future updates when new information becomes available,” Steckel added.
Wolf announced Nov. 8 the intention to end the statewide mask mandate in schools Jan. 17, 2022. This would return masking guidance to the local leaders and school districts.
The PDE’s statement to schools Nov. 10 included its support of the current masking order.
“School masking is a necessary public health measure to keep children safe and provide them with as much in-person learning in school as possible,” according to the PDE. “Medical experts agree - hospitals and health care professionals across the state support the masking requirement. Requiring masks in schools is helping to keep students in classrooms and the virus out and is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics.”