Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said on Friday he’s planning to sign an executive order aimed at making all school districts in the state “mask-optional,” despite Florida’s Covid cases and hospitalizations quickly soaring toward record highs.
DeSantis said at a briefing the executive order will direct the state’s Department of Education and Department of Health to enact emergency rules to make sure “parents’ rights are protected” when it comes to whether children should wear masks.
The order appears to come in direct response to the Broward County School Board’s vote on Wednesday to enact a mask mandate in the district’s schools, a decision the staunchly anti-mandate DeSantis had said “will be addressed.”
Florida is in the midst of a massive Covid surge, with cases and hospitalizations rising rapidly.
More than 9,000 people are now hospitalized, according to a New York Times tracker, which is more than the state had at any point during the winter Covid surge.
The delta variant is also leading to a surge in children being hospitalized, with Jacksonville reportedly dealing with a record-high number of children in hospitals while cities like Palm Beach and St. Petersburg have also recorded spikes.
Discover more from News Facts Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
