Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R.) issued an executive order on Friday, making masks optional at state public schools. CDC Earlier this week, we published new guidance recommending teachers, staff and students to wear face covers indoors, even if they are vaccinated.
“The federal government does not have the right to tell parents that children must be forced to wear masks all day long to attend school directly,” DeSantis said in a statement. “Many Florida school children suffer under mandatory masking policies, and it is wise to protect parents’ ability to make decisions about wearing masks by their children.”
The Governor’s Office said the directive corresponds to the local school board considering mask obligations for the CDC. “Unscientific and inconsistent recommendations for school-aged children to wear masks.”
“In Florida, there are no blockages, no school closures. There are no restrictions or obligations in Florida,” DeSantis said in a speech issuing the order.
This order invalidates the requirement issued by Broward and Gadsden counties for students to wear masks when they return to school next month.
As concerns about the highly contagious delta mutants increased, new mask orders and essential vaccines were considered. New variants are spreading rapidly in areas with low vaccination rates.
Currently, children under the age of 12 are not eligible for vaccination, National Review Reported it earlier Unvaccinated children There is a lower risk of death or serious consequences from COVID-19 than those vaccinated in their 30s.
Vaccine obligations and mask requirements, on the other hand, have attracted criticism from conservatives who claim that obligations violate constitutional freedom.
DeSantis led accusations against COVID-19 lockdown and mask mandate during a pandemic. While many schools across the country have struggled to bring students back to face-to-face learning, Florida schools have been open for face-to-face instruction since October 2020.