A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) claims schools that did not have mask requirements had more cases of COVID-19 - despite a another recent study finding classrooms were not linked to frequent outbreaks.
Researchers from the federal health agency looked at case rates at nearly 1,000 K-12 schools in Arizona that did or did not require students to wear face coverings.
They said that schools without a mask mandate had outbreaks 3.5 times higher than those that did have such mandates in place.
It comes just a week after a study from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LADPH) published data that showed less than 0.1 percent each of pupils and staff members tested positive for the virus over the course of a month.
What's more, only about 0.2 percent of students or teachers who came into contact with a Covid patient later tested positive themselves.
A new CDC report claims schools without mask mandates have 3.5 times more cases than those those with face covering requirements. Pictured: Students arrive for the first day of school at Sessums Elementary School in Riverview, Florida
Currently, the CDC recommends universal masking indoors for all students and staff above age two, regardless of whether or not they have been vaccinated.
However, fully vaccinated people do not need to wear a mask outdoors while those who haven't received their shots yet are recommended to if they are in a crowded setting.
For the new report, published on Friday, the CDC looked at schools for the 2021-22 school year in Maricopa and Pima counties in Arizona, which account for 75 percent of the state's population.
Schools were split into three categories: no mask requirement, early mask requirement and late mask requirement.
An early mask requirement was defined a rule that all pupils and workers wear masks indoors at all times put in place when the school year began.
A late mask requirement was defined as a similar rule, but not instituted until after the year began.
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