FEMA to Stop Supplying Cloth Face Masks for Schools

Federal Emergency Management Agency officials said they will no longer fund cloth face masks in schools throughout the country, according to NPR.

"Supporting schools and other functions — courthouses and other related functions — are not a direct emergency protective measures and therefore they're not eligible for [federal funding]," Keith Turi, a FEMA official, said during a phone call, according to NPR.

"There are costs that are being incurred and required based on COVID, but they are all not necessarily emergency protective measures, and they're not necessarily all FEMA-eligible," Turi added.

FEMA considers masks necessary to the basic operation of schools in the fall and does not think they should be categorized as emergency equipment.

The news arrives as school districts throughout the United States decide whether to hold in-person classes.

FEMA officials indicated the federal government will continue to fund masks in other settings.

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