Alabama’s superintendent of Education Dr. Eric Mackey visited Tuscaloosa Wednesday to speak to a group about an ongoing Adopt A School program. But it didn’t take long for the conversation to turn to coronavirus and how much mask wearing could happen in schools.

Dr. Eric Mackey told the crowd that about 95 percent of Alabama public schools will start in August with in-person, face to face teaching, compared to 50 percent last year. This presents new challenges because of rising coronavirus cases and especially the Delta variant.

Mackey does not believe there will be a mask wearing mandate at this time despite Tuesday’s recommendation from the CDC on new mask wearing guidelines for vaccinated people.

He wants parents to support their kids so they don’t feel as much stress about what may be happening because of the virus.

Mackey is also asking people to get vaccinated for coronavirus unless there are medical reasons why they shouldn’t.