Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is asking the State Board of Education to toss out its school masking policy.
Hogan, a Republican, made his request on Thursday in a letter to Clarence Crawford, president of the Maryland State Board of Education.
"The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges for all Marylanders, but it has been perhaps most difficult and disruptive for our children," Hogan wrote in the letter. "We have seen the harmful effects of prolonged school closures on the education, health, and emotional well-being of Maryland students.
"The consequences include failing grades, regressed social development, and increased mental health challenges. If these trends are not reversed quickly, we face the unthinkable prospect of a generation left behind, both academically and socially.
"Since ending the state's indoor mask mandate in May 2021, our focus has been on encouraging people to take appropriate precautions. In recent weeks, Maryland emerged from the omicron wave faster than just about any other state. We continue to report substantial declines in all of our key COVID-19 health metrics, including the lowest case rate in the country. Maryland also continues to be one of the most vaccinated states, including vaccinating school age children at a rate above the national average
"A growing number of medical professionals, parents. and bipartisan state officials throughout the nation are calling for an end to school mask requirements. Public health experts who previously advocated for mandated masking in schools now call for eliminating these temporary measures.
"In light of dramatic improvements to our health metrics and the widespread availability of vaccines, I am calling on you to take action to rescind this policy."
A copy of the letter was posted on The Baltimore Sun's website.
The Hill noted that Maryland doesn’t have an indoor mask mandate, except for schools. But individual county governments can set their own rules.