Psaki says her kindergartener ‘can wear a mask all day’ after Fox News suggests they are ‘harmful’ to children

White House press secretary Jen Psaki drew on personal experience to push back against concerns over students being required to wear masks all day at school.

The Centers for Disease Control’s latest guidance says that teachers, staff, and students should wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status – which caused consternation in some quarters.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who staunchly opposes mask mandates, released a statement saying: “Experts have raised legitimate concerns that the risks of masking outweigh the potential benefits for children, because masking children can negatively impact their learning, speech, emotional and social development, and physical health.”

Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked Ms Psaki about Mr DeSantis’s statement, and whether health officials the White House had consulted ahead of the CDC’s announcement had shared those concerns.

Ms Psaki said they did not, adding: “From personal experience, my rising kindergartener told me two days ago she could wear a mask all day and she’s just happy to go to camp and go to school.”

She continued: “The objective from all of our public health officials has been clear – and our secretary of education – kids need to be in school,” she said.

“We know there’s a mental health impact of them not being in school and we should take the mitigation measures needed in order for them to be in school and in the classroom, including masking and including allowing that to be part of a reality in these schools to keep the community safe.”

Mr Doocy also asked Ms Psaki about Mr DeSantis’s threat to cut schools’ funding in districts that do not allow parents to opt out of having their children masked in the classroom. He asked Ms Psaki if President Joe Biden believes parents should be able to decide that for their children.

Ms Psaki responded: “I will say as a parent myself of two young children that I want public health officials to make decisions about how to keep my kids safe, not politicians,” she said.

“And not only is Governor DeSantis not abiding by public health decisions, he’s fundraising off of this. So, my view is that – and our view as an administration – is that parents in Florida, parents across the country should have the ability and the knowledge that their kids are going to school and they’re in safe environments that shouldn’t be too much to ask.”