A federal judge late last month extended his order permitting schools in Iowa to implement their own mask orders.
The extension for the order, which was originally issued Sept. 13, against a state law prohibiting school mask mandates will run through Oct. 11, Radio Iowa reported.
American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa lauded the move, tweeting Sept. 27, "BREAKING: Good news! A federal court today extended the Iowa mask order that allows schools to issue mask mandates to keep students and staff safe."
Radio Iowa reported that at least 24 school districts implemented some sort of face covering requirement on school premises after the first iteration of the order.
Judge Robert Pratt based his extension on his belief that the enforcement of a mask mandate ban poses a threat to the health of students, according to ABC News.
ABC News reported that at least 11 school districts in Iowa reported more positive cases in the first month of the 2021-2022 school year than in the entirety of the 2020-2021 school year.
Last summer, Gov. Kim Reynolds implemented policies that impeded efforts to keep tabs on outbreaks in schools.
The state is also no longer providing widespread testing, simply leaving it to families to seek out their own testing if a child is exposed or exhibits symptoms.
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