Executive Order Number Two (2022) and Order of Public Health Emergency One banned the mandates.
The order says that masks are harmful to children in a number of ways:
“At the same time that a universal masking requirement in schools has provided inconsistent health benefits, the universal requirement has also inflicted notable harm and proven to be impracticable. Masks inhibit the ability of children to communicate, delay language development, and impede the growth of emotional and social skills. Some children report difficulty breathing and discomfort as a result of masks. Masks have also increased feelings of isolation, exacerbating mental health issues, which in many cases pose a greater health risk to children than COVID-19. Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, mask mandates in schools have proved demoralizing to children facing these and other difficulties.”
The order takes effect Jan. 24.
Noting that it was “reviewing Governor Youngkin’s executive order, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent Scott Brabrand said in a Jan. 16 press release that “FCPS continues to require universal mask wearing in alignment with CDC guidance.”… (Excerpts from the Virginia Star)
