SALEM — All K-12 students in Oregon will be required to wear face coverings if they return to classrooms this fall, according to a new state mandate. All school staff in K-12 schools will also be required to wear face coverings, such as masks or shields.

This decision, announced Wednesday, July 22, by the Oregon Department of Education, reverses the state’s previous guidelines from June, which only recommended that older students wear face coverings.

The state will distribute five million face coverings — donated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency — to school districts throughout Oregon to help schools meet this new requirement, according to a state press release.

Gov. Kate Brown, in a press conference July 22, said face coverings will be required for all Oregon children ages 5 and older in public. She thanked parents, guardians and child care providers in advance for helping children understand the importance of wearing a mask.

“Obviously, I cannot be everywhere all at once,” Brown said at the press conference. “I am incredibly grateful that parents are willing to step up and help us with this really important task.”

Dean Sidelinger, the state’s chief health officer, added that although getting students back into classrooms this fall is a priority, it is key to do so with precautions.

“We know that getting kids in front of a trained teacher to receive quality education can really make an impact on those children,” he said at the press conference. “But we need to do it safely.”

The state will release another update to its fall school plan on Aug. 11, the release stated.