California will require vaccinated teachers and students wear masks even though the CDC said it's not necessary

• The state of California announced Friday that all students and staff in schools need to wear face masks.
• But the CDC last week said vaccinated students and staff do not need to wear masks to school.
• A California official said masks will allow vaccinated and unvaccinated students to "walk into school without worrying about whether they will feel different or singled out."

Officials in the state of California on Friday announced that students and staff at schools will still be required to wear face masks to class in the fall.

The announcement came the same day as new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that said students and staff who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 could ditch face coverings during the school day.

The agency previously suggested all students and staff wear masks continuously during the school day except for when eating or drinking.

"Masking is a simple and effective intervention that does not interfere with offering full in-person instruction," said Dr. Mark Ghaly, California Health and Human Services secretary, in a statement announcing the policy. "At the outset of the new year, students should be able to walk into school without worrying about whether they will feel different or singled out for being vaccinated or unvaccinated - treating all kids the same will support a calm and supportive school environment."

Ghaly said in places where social distancing isn't possible, masks are "the superior form of mitigation."

"So starting off our school year with kids masked, coming back safely with 100% of our students able to come in person, was the key strategy," he said.

The CDC on Friday did not specify how staff should access which students are vaccinated and did not provide guidance for parents concerned about which staff members have been fully vaccinated, as the AP reported, potentially creating difficulty for schools in the fall.

It also did not recommend that schools mandate vaccinations before students and staff return to classrooms. The CDC guidance comes amid a push to get children as young as 12 vaccinated against the virus. The agency continued Friday to recommend three feet of physical distancing between unvaccinated students and staff.

According to data from the CDC, about 55% of people in the US over the age of 12 have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.