Philadelphia public school students and staff will be required to wear a COVID-19 mask when they return from winter break.

The School District of Philadelphia made the announcement Thursday, saying the move is an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID and other respiratory illnesses and to maintain in-person learning, according to WPVI-TV in Philadelphia.

The masks must be worn for the first 10 days after the break – Jan. 3-13, 2023.

This fall, some states are reporting an increase in several respiratory-related viruses – the flu, COVID, and RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus.