Mask obligation falls when students are in their seats

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As of Tuesday, all schools will no longer require students to wear masks at their seats. This was announced by ÖVP Education Minister Heinz Faßmann and Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein (Greens) in a press release on Saturday. However, masks must still be worn in the rest of the school building. The lifting is justified with the small infection occurrence and/or the analogous regulation in the gastronomy trade.

At the elementary schools there is already no mask requirement at the seat. This regulation will now be extended to the rest of the schools. Those who feel safer wearing a mouth-nose protection or FFP2 mask can continue to use it voluntarily at the seat. The mask-at-seat exemption applies not only to students, but also to teachers. The corresponding regulation is expected on Monday.

“The stable and still declining infection situation allows us to abolish the mask requirement,” Faßmann said. To keep it that way, he said, students are testing themselves, making them “the most tested population group.”

“Relief at the end of a tough school year”
Austria’s students have shown a lot of patience in homeschooling, shift work and testing, according to Faßmann. “Now they have earned this step of relief at the end of a tough school year.”

Mückstein also referred to “the current very pleasing figures,” saying these “make it possible for students to get some relief even before the vacations.” According to the health minister, however, the next big task is already looming with the vaccination of children from the age of twelve.