Parents scramble for high-quality masks for children amid nationwide shortage

AS THE OMICRON surge continues to destabilize California schools, teachers, students and families are demanding their districts provide KN95 or N95 masks — widely recognized as the most effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19 — to everyone on campuses.

It’s become common practice for districts to provide staff with those masks in some capacity, but few are providing them to students. Some districts, like Oakland Unified and West Contra Costa Unified, have ordered KN95 masks for students. But California parents in large part have been left to fend for themselves if they want their children wearing the most protective masks — that is, if they can find ones they can afford.