The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) has updated the guidance on face coverings in child care facilities:
The updated guidance clarifies that school-age children five (5) years or older who are in kindergarten or above are required to wear face coverings when they are or may be within six (6) feet of another person, unless a family member states that an exception applies for the child. NCDHHS recognizes that some five-year-old children attending child care programs are not yet in kindergarten. For these children, it is recommended that they wear face coverings if they can reliably wear, remove, and handle masks following Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidance. The face covering guidance applies to children who are on site at the child care facility, as well as on transportation vehicles that are regulated by the State of North Carolina.
Just to recap:
- A five-year-old in elementary school is required to wear a mask.
- A five-year-old in a preschool is not required to wear a mask.
