WASHINGTON (NewsNation Now) — Schools in the United States should continue to use masks for the 2020-2021 school year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Saturday.

The CDC in its latest guidance said all kindergarten through grade 12 schools “should implement and layer prevention strategies and should prioritize universal and correct use of masks and physical distancing.”

The agency said masks should be worn at all times by all people in school facilities and buses, while maintaining a six foot distance between teachers and students.

On Thursday, the CDC eased mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, allowing them to stop wearing masks outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings.

The new guidance still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters, but will help clear the way for reopening workplaces, schools, and other venues — even removing the need for masks or social distancing for those who are fully vaccinated.

Earlier this month U.S. regulators authorized Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for use in children as young as 12 years old.

Reporting by Radhika Anilkumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Chris Reese. © 2021 Thomson Reuters.