Pennsylvania court throws out governor's school mask mandate

Nov 12, 20210

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Students catch their bus near Ambridge Area Senior High School, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021, in Ambridge, Pa. Pennsylvania school districts will soon be allowed to modify or end the mask mandate for K-12 students in January, Gov. Tom Wolf announced Monday, Nov. 8, 2021 saying it is "time to prepare for a transition back to a more normal setting." (Andrew Rush /Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP)

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - An order by Pennsylvania's acting health secretary that requires masks inside K-12 schools and child care facilities was thrown out Wednesday by a state court that said she lacked the authority. The Wolf administration put the decision on hold by filing an immediate appeal.

Commonwealth Court sided 4-1 with the ranking Republican in the state Senate and others who sued to challenge the masking order that took effect in early September as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Within hours of the decision, it was put on hold when Health Department lawyers filed an appeal to the state Supreme Court.

https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-tom-wolf-pennsylvania-state-courts-health-2f00be4089772351ee2092a3c1a1d479