SALT LAKE CITY From planned weekend rallies in school districts across the state to speaking out at local school board meetings, some parents are pushing back against Utah s ongoing public health order that requires K-12 students to wear masks at school until June 15.
The resistance comes as Utah s statewide mask mandates ends April 10, although businesses and other private property owners can still require them. The Utah Jazz organization announced earlier this week that masks will continue to be required at home games, which is also a league requirement.
Some parents say the transmission of COVID-19 in schools has been minimal and they question why students must continue to wear masks.
State School Board members have voiced concerns about enforcing mask wearing in Utah classrooms after the statewide mask mandate is lifted for other circumstances starting April 10.
SALT LAKE CITY Lifting Utah s statewide mask mandate on April 10 will be deeply problematic for schools, a member of the Utah State Board of Education predicted Thursday.
Molly Hart, who is also a middle school principal in the Canyons School District, said she is concerned how schools will continue to enforce mask requirements after the statewide mandate terminates April 10, as directed under HB294, recently passed by state lawmakers.
The bill is on Utah Gov. Spencer Cox s desk where he can sign it into law, allow it become law without his signature or veto it. However, the governor has said he supports HB294, which was negotiated among lawmakers, the governor s office and the Utah Department of Health.