Catholic Schools Mask Mandate Ordered By Diocese Of Venice

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA — Face masks will be required indoors at Catholic schools located in counties with a new COVID-19 case positivity rate of 10 percent or higher, Bishop Frank J. Dewane with the Diocese of Venice said in a letter sent to parents and guardians about its school reopening plan Thursday.

“The plan is built on our conviction that students deserve access to in-person learning and is guided by recent experience and greater understanding of COVID-19,” Dewane wrote. “Increased vaccination rates, successful mitigation strategies to limit the spread of the virus, as well as local data and national research, contribute to the formulation of this plan.”

The diocese oversees Catholic schools in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Lee, Manatee and Sarasota counties.

Related Story: Mask-Only Classrooms A Possibility In Manatee County

According to the Florida Department of Health’s most recent COVID-19 Weekly Situation Report for the week of July 30 to Aug. 5, all counties that fall within the Diocese of Venice have a new case positivity rate higher than 10 percent:

• Charlotte: 15.2 percent
• Collier: 19.2 percent
• DeSoto: 16.9 percent
• Glades: 20.7 percent
• Hardee: 30.1 percent
• Hendry: 18.7 percent
• Highlands: 21.9 percent
• Lee: 20.8 percent
• Manatee: 18.5 percent
• Sarasota: 14.5 percent

The updated mask policy is temporary and based on current data in each county, Dewane said. “The plan may be updated based on the guidance of local and state public health officials.”

Some parents were upset by the new mask requirement.

“I will NOT be sending my daughter to school with a mask on Monday. In Florida we have parental rights to make medical decisions for our children. I will not allow the (Diocese of Venice) to take away my rights as a parent,” Carla Trombly commented on the Diocese’s Facebook page.

Another parent called the mask policy “the ultimate bait-and-switch.”

Jenna Romeo commented on the diocese’s Facebook page Friday, “I literally moved my family across the country to get away from this absurdity and found this out at the parents meeting last night.”

Another commenter, Greg Stephan, wrote, “Very sad…using arbitrary positivity rates based on faulty PCR tests will determine if masks that do not stop a virus will be required. The Bishop is just playing along with the hoax.”

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Not everyone was opposed to the mask mandate, though.

Pau Balli commented to thank Dewane “for protecting our children.”

Jim Nolan Jr. called the mask requirement a “logical, pro-life approach” to the current surge in COVID-19 cases.

“With the current rate of community spread this is a common-sense approach to help protect our students, teachers, staff and families. It looks at each individual county individually and relaxes the restrictions once the community spread is under control,” Nolan commented. “We are our brothers’ keeper, so let's work together with our church and schools to keep everyone as safe as possible. If a few weeks of my vaccinated children being inconvenienced by mask wearing saves one life or keeps one person from becoming seriously ill and hospitalized, then so be it.”

In a second letter sent out Friday, Dewane assured parents that he heard and understands both sides of the mask debate.

He said new data released Friday showed an 18 percent increase of COVID-19 cases in Florida during the previous week, which has him “greatly concerned” for the safety of the diocese’s 5,000 students.

“For those who have addressed the issue of parental rights, I respect completely your right as a parent,” Dewane added. “When you entrust your children to a Catholic school, the responsibility of each school is to ensure the safety of all students. Please recall this is a temporary measure and will be reviewed weekly as originally noted. As an alternative, parents can choose online learning for their child, which is available in our schools.”