Authorities in Massachusetts announced on Wednesday that that the Bay State will be dropping its mask mandate for students in K-12 public education starting February 28. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley. While the statewide mandate is lifted, local districts will still be allowed to require masking.

“With Massachusetts a national leader in vaccinating kids, combined with our robust testing programs, it is time to lift the mask mandate in schools and give students and staff a sense of normalcy after dealing with enormous challenges over the past two years,” Governor Charlie Baker (R) said Wednesday at a press conference. “We have all the tools to keep schools safe as we move into dealing with the next phase of managing COVID.”