Pennsylvania school districts will soon be allowed to modify or end the mask mandate for K-12 students in January, Gov. Tom Wolf announced today, saying it is “time to prepare for a transition back to a more normal setting.” Wolf adding that on Jan. 17, he expects to turn over decisions about masking to local school officials, although the acting health secretary’s current mask mandate for students will remain in place for early learning programs and child care facilities. The Wolf administration imposed a statewide mandate in early September, citing a surge in infections and hospitalizations from the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus. The order from acting Health Secretary Alison Beam required that students, staff and visitors at K-12 schools and child care facilities wear masks while indoors, regardless of vaccination status.