Some children ask not to wear masks in schools 2:21

(CNN) -

Faced with the increase in covid-19 cases in the United States, driven by the highly transmissible delta variant, several places in the country are choosing to strengthen measures to contain the spread of the virus.

Among these are the mandates for the use of masks and even the possibility of requiring the vaccine against covid-19.

Although there are those who oppose these measures, attorneys for the Justice Department paved the way for eventual vaccination requirements.

Mask Mandates

New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago school districts

Heading into the start of face-to-face classes, America's three largest school districts, namely New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, will require students to wear masks at school.

However, while the nation's 12 major districts will require masks, the governors of Florida and Texas, both Republicans, have banned mask-wearing mandates in schools.

Chicago Public Schools wrote on Twitter that "everyone in schools will wear masks" when face-to-face classes return on August 30.

Students should maintain a physical distance of 1.5 meters when possible and schools will maintain cleaning and disinfection measures.

Public school districts in Philadelphia will also require masks;

Fairfax County, Virginia;

Hawaii;

Prince George's County, Maryland;

San Diego, Shelby County, Tennessee;

and DeKalb County, Georgia.

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In Jefferson County, Kentucky, only unvaccinated students are required to wear masks.

• Millions of teens in America will go back to school unvaccinated

School districts in Atlanta

In the Atlanta area, some school districts will require masks, but the state's largest district is taking a different approach, leaving the protocol as optional.

The Gwinnett County School District, north of Atlanta, has made masks an optional requirement, leaving the decision up to parents.

In Atlanta Public Schools and DeKalb County Schools, south of Gwinnett, masks are required for students.

Indoor Masks in St. Louis

The city and county of St. Louis on Monday reinstated a masking mandate in enclosed public spaces and on public transportation for people 5 years of age and older, whether vaccinated or not.

Exceptions include those who are sitting in a restaurant or bar eating and drinking and people with disabilities that prevent them from putting on or taking off their masks.

State Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed a lawsuit against the mandate on the day it took effect.

• US sends covid-19 support team to southwest Missouri after increase in cases and hospitalizations due to delta variant

Vaccination or periodic testing requirement

For state employees and healthcare workers in California

California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Monday that the state will require all state employees and healthcare workers to provide proof of their vaccination status or to have periodic tests for covid-19.

All employees must demonstrate that they have received the vaccine by showing their vaccination cards or by using a verification code provided by the California Department of Public Health.

Those state employees who are not vaccinated should be tested at least once a week and must wear N95 masks at all times.

For their part, unvaccinated health workers will have to be tested at least twice a week.

For New York City Workers

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday that he will require that the entire municipal workforce be vaccinated or begin weekly testing for covid-19 by Sept. 13.

The mandate covers some 340,000 employees, including those who work in the school system, police and fire departments.

De Blasio said NYC Health and Hospitals members and Health Department front-line workers and clinical workers will need to get vaccinated or tested for COVID-19 every week starting Aug. 2.

Additionally, unvaccinated city employees will be required to wear a mask indoors at all times beginning August 2.

Those who violate the rule will be removed from the workplace, the mayor said.

De Blasio also addressed non-governmental employers saying, "My message to the private sector is: go as far as you can right now. Do what you can do."

• ANALYSIS |

  Americans who have not been vaccinated against covid-19 face increasing pressure to do so

For Department of Veterans Affairs Workers

On Monday, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it will require many of its front-line healthcare workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

It is the first entity of the federal government to require that its workers be vaccinated.

Dentists, podiatrists, optometrists, registered nurses and physician assistants who work with the department should also be vaccinated, the agency said.

They will have eight weeks to get vaccinated.

The Biden administration's decision to require vaccinations from health workers at the Department of Veterans Affairs gave a powerful signal that vaccine requirements might be necessary to convince those who hesitate to get vaccinated.

What Federal Law Says About Immunization Requirements

On Monday, the US Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel posted an opinion online finding that federal law does not prohibit public agencies and private companies from requiring the covid-19 vaccine.

This, even if the vaccines only have an emergency use authorization, as is the case with the vaccines available against the coronavirus.

In this way, the lawyers paved the way for more entities and companies to require their employees to be vaccinated.

With input from Evan Perez, Tierney Sneed, Elizabeth Stuart, Mallory Simon, Amara Walker, Maria Cartaya, Kevin Liptak, Artemis Moshtaghian, Kristina Sgueglia Sarah Moon, and Kay Jones.

Covid-19