TOLEDO, Ohio — Editor's note: The above video originally aired Jan. 4.
Toledo Public Schools will no longer require students to wear masks indoors, district officials announced Tuesday.
Administrators said the change goes into effect Wednesday, includes students and staff, and applies when riding school buses.
"District officials will continue to monitor the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Toledo area," according to a written statement from the district. "Changes to TPS safety protocols could change if there is a significant increase in confirmed cases or new regulations are issued from health officials."
Districts across the region have had varying rules about mask wearing during the current school year, with many implementing and removing mask requirements depending on the fluctuating infection risk in their communities.
Most local districts ramped up mask requirements in January as case counts climbed due to the surging Omicron variant of the virus. In recent weeks most districts have been relaxing restrictions as the Omicron wave of the pandemic recedes.
Since Bowling Green City Schools dropped its indoor mask mandate Feb. 14 and Washington Local removed is mask requirement Feb. 22, only TPS still required students to wear masks.
Coronavirus case counts continue to drop across Ohio. State health authorities Tuesday announced 1,051 new cases, which brings the state's 21-day average down to 1,804. That is the lowest number of cases since Aug.15, 2021..
There were 1,053 COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state, which is the lowest number since Aug. 9, 2021
In light of changing guidance from the U.S. Centers from Disease Control and Prevention, the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department also updated its guidance Tuesday.
The CDC's county-by-county coronavirus transmission tracking system currently shows Lucas County's transmission as "medium," meaning that wearing masks indoors still recommended, but not required.
The health department recommends people who are at high risk for severe illness talk to their doctor about whether to wear a mask or take other precautions. The department also suggests people get vaccinated for COVID-19 and test tested if they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
More on WTOL: