States and schools across nation drop mask mandates, but concern remains about low vaccination rates among kids

States and school districts all over the country are dropping mask mandates in the wake of the Omicron surge.

"Parents, teachers and principals face a complicated balancing act in navigating the new rules. Some families are thrilled that their children no longer have to wear masks, while others say they’re still tentative and urging their kids to keep wearing face coverings for now. Teachers and principals are caught in the middle," Philip Marcelo and Dave Collins report for The Associated Press.

Deciding whether to mask or not can hinge on complicated factors. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently advised that most Americans can safely stop wearing masks, but should keep them on where infection rates are still high. Also, "Those hesitant about ending school mask mandates often point to low childhood vaccination rates among American children," Marcelo and Collins report. "Only about a quarter of children ages 5 to 11 have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, and about 58% of children ages 12 to 17 are inoculated, the CDC says."

Research shows that masks make a dent in infection rates. A recently published study of Arkansas schools showed that those with required masking had 23% fewer coronavirus cases than those where masks were optional.

In Kentucky, where infection rates remain high in many counties, the state legislature may pass a bill allowing K-12 students to opt out of any masking, testing or coronavirus vaccination mandates, and ban such mandates at public colleges and universities. When asked for his masking advice to the general public, Gov. Andy Beshear said: "The No. 1 piece of advice I can give is, don't feel pressure." He said people should consider their daily activities and the infection level in their county, and those with pre-existing conditions should wear one because "There is still a lot of Omicron out there."