Schools Start 1st Mask-Free Year in 4 Years

Some schoolkids saw their friends' faces in the classroom for the first time as the new school year began on Thursday, the first mask-free year since the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020.

Self-diagnostic apps are also no longer required, temperature checks disappear from daily school routine and safety dividers in cafeterias have been taken down.

But even with the mask mandate being dropped nationwide on Jan. 30, many people still opt to keep their masks on, and children will still have to wear masks on the way to school if they use school buses or public transportation.