Utah won’t require masks for students last week of school

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Utah will not require masks in K-12 schools for the last week of the academic year.

Gov. Spencer Cox made the announcement Thursday and said schools have the option to keep the mask requirement in place through the end of the school year.

A mask order for K-12 schools previously was expected to end June 15, when most districts let out for the summer.

The Republican governor has defended his administration's decision to mandate masks in schools over parent protests.

But he has said the state didn't plan to require masks for K-12 students next fall.