HARRISBURG, Pa. (EYT) – An order requiring masks to be worn indoors will remain in place for Pennsylvania’s K-12 schools and child care facilities while the Pa. Supreme Court hears an appeal next week by Governor Wolf regarding a lawsuit that had lifted the mandate.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the move is temporary as the court will hear arguments on the mandate on Wednesday, December 8.
On November 10, a Commonwealth Court ordered the mandate to end on Saturday, December 4.
Commonwealth Court Judge Christine Fizzano Cannon lifted the mandate, siding with the plaintiffs in the case, which include a group of state lawmakers, parents, and private school interests. She remarked the plaintiffs were likely to win the appeal and that Beam has other ways to enact a mandate.
This ruling was appealed by Gov. Wolf’s administration, and the decision to put the Commonwealth Court decision on hold was 5-1, with one justice disagreeing with the majority.
The mandate was originally enacted by acting State Secretary of Health Allison Beam at the beginning of the school year, causing a wave of discontent from many parents in the northwestern Pa.
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