By MICHELLE HASH
Staff Writer
As the new semester begins, Los Angeles Unified School District has begun requiring their students to wear surgical grade masks as opposed to cloth ones. The new masks have to meet the criteria of a well-fitted, non-cloth mask that also has a wire nose piece that must be worn at all times, including outside. This rule does not apply to all of their students, they are allowing medical exemptions from certain physical and mental illnesses.
Recently there have been many studies proving that cloth masks are not very successful in protecting individuals from COVID-19 and more health officials are coming out, strongly encouraging everyone to begin wearing N-95 or KN-95 masks. And if not those, at least the blue surgical masks. They are the first school district, and also 2nd largest school district in the nation, to begin enforcing this, potentially enforced by other schools in the future.