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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Friday signed an executive order prohibiting local school districts from requiring students to wear masks.
The order came days after the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidelines recommending that all students and teachers and other staff at K-12 schools wear face coverings in the fall. .
“If you listen to some of the stuff going around the CDC, there is a movement to try to impose more restrictions on the American people,” DeSantis said, speaking at an unrelated news event, according to Orlando. Sentinel.
“And I just want to say that in Florida there will be no foreclosure. There will be no school closures. There will be no restrictions or warrants in the state of Florida. “
DeSantis cited the Sunshine State Parents Bill of Rights in its executive order, adding in a statement, “It is prudent to protect the ability of parents to make decisions regarding the wearing of masks by their children. “
School boards that do not comply with the ordinance may be subject to withholding of public funds.
Before the order was signed, the Florida Education Association spoke out against it, accusing DeSantis of implementing a “one size fits all” policy.
“We reject that kind of thinking. Instead, we call on Governor DeSantis to empower all citizens of Florida to have a voice by empowering elected leaders of cities, counties and school districts to make health and safety decisions at the level. local based on their unique needs and circumstances, ”said Andrew Spar, FEA President. said in a press release.
On Tuesday, the CDC recommended indoor mask warrants even for fully vaccinated people in areas with peak COVID-19 cases. The guidance comes amid the spread of the highly contagious variant of the Delta coronavirus, which now accounts for around 83% of cases nationwide, the agency said.
Many Republicans, including former President Trump, have spoken out against the guidelines.
Florida has seen a recent surge in COVID-19 cases, with 17,589 new cases on Wednesday, a record not seen since January, the Sentinel reported.
Sixty-one percent of Florida residents have been vaccinated, according to a state COVID-19 report.
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