Children from 2 years old must now wear masks in New York: new order of the governor

New York Governor Katie Hockool last week expanded requirements staff regarding wearing masks. She included children attending kindergartens from the age of 2. The staff and visitors to these facilities must also be wearing masks, the newspaper said. Today... Some have expressed concern that such young children will wear masks.

Other states also have rules regarding the wearing of masks for young children. For example, in Washington State, children over the age of 5 must wear masks. And in Virginia, adults working in child care must wear masks.

Rules in New York have been tightened amid the coronavirus surge, which was largely caused by the delta strain, a more contagious version of the virus. The delta strain has also led to a spike in infections among children, according to doctors. At the moment, children under the age of 12 cannot be vaccinated against COVID-19, although it is possible that a vaccine for young children will be available in the coming months.

At the same time, many parents believe that masks for such young children are overkill, not to mention the fact that it is not easy to get them to put on a mask. In addition, many fear that masks can cause breathing problems and even oxygen deficiency in babies.

Expert opinion

Megan Fitzgerald, co-founder and director of Tinkergarten Inc. for outdoor education, stated that there is no reason to believe that masks have a negative impact on the development of the child. Fitzgerald cited a recent study that looked at the development of 600 children during the coronavirus pandemic to support her point. The study did not highlight the masks, but looked at all the changes caused by the pandemic.

“I think people are really worried that children will be upset or traumatized in some way by the physical experience of wearing a mask, or they will be frightened by someone else wearing a mask,” Fitzgerald said. "But these are unfounded fears."

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Fitzgerald said that the only thing that bothers her in this situation is some difficulties that may arise in the children’s understanding of emotions and facial expressions. This is an “important part of early learning” and may be interfered with by wearing a mask. However, this concern needs to be balanced against the risk of contracting the coronavirus or closing childcare facilities due to outbreaks of the virus.

“Wearing a mask is not ideal for young children. But balancing this with the ability to get together with other children and learn in a social setting. These benefits seem to be more important, ”Fitzgerald said.

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She added that it is much better to wear masks, even for the smallest, and be able to get together than to sit at home in isolation.

It's also important to make sure your child is taking a break from wearing masks. It is generally safe to take off your mask outdoors.