Small California school district lifts outdoor mask mandate for P.E.

PIEDMONT, Calif. - Citing a drop in coronavirus cases, the superintendent of the Piedmont Unified School District told parents that as of Thursday, children would no longer have to wear masks while participating in outdoor P.E. classes.

Children can still wear masks during physical education when they run and jump outdoors if they choose but they don't have to. 

If cases continue to fall, Supt. Randall Booker wrote parents a letter saying that he would "rescind" the outdoor mask policy for all students and staff beginning on Feb. 7. 

The indoor mask mandate will stay in place for now. 

According to the district, there were 228 coronavirus cases from Dec. 17, 2021, to Jan. 10. Then, last week, the number dropped to 27 cases.

Many other school districts throughout California, such as the Oakland Unified School District, still have a mask policy, both indoors and outdoors. 

But others, like schools in nearby Moraga in Contra County and Marin County, allow children to be outdoors mask free. 

Masking of kids outdoors is not required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the California Department of Public Health. 

The Alameda County Health Department does not require outdoor masking but does recommend it when the vaccination status of students is unknown. 

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