FL Mask Survey: Should Students, Teachers Wear Masks At School?

FLORIDA — Amid a COVID-19 surge in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a July executive order that school districts must give parents a choice about whether their children wear masks in the classroom or not, effectively barring school mask mandates.

His order goes against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendations that people, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, wear masks indoors in parts of the country where COVID-19 cases are on the rise. The CDC also recommends all K-12 students in the United States wear masks at school.

To slow the spread of COVID-19, some Florida school districts are defying the governor’s order as the 2021-22 school year starts. School districts in Alachua, Broward, Miami-Dade and Hillsborough counties have put mask mandates in place with medical waivers required for families to opt out.

The debate about masks in schools comes at a time when the number of new coronavirus cases, deaths and hospitalizations in Florida is soaring.

Since the end of June, COVID-19 has spread rapidly across the state. According to the Florida Department of Health’s most recent COVID-19 Weekly Situation Report for Aug. 6-12, 151,415 new cases and a new case positivity rate of 19.3 percent were reported statewide.

There were also more than 1,000 deaths related to coronavirus reported during that week.

And nearly 17,000 COVD-19 hospitalizations were reported Wednesday, according to the Florida Hospital Association. That’s 164 percent higher than the state’s previous peak July 23, 2020.

In light of this COVID-19 wave hitting Florida and other parts of the country, Patch wants to know how you feel about students and teachers wearing masks in the classroom and getting vaccinated against the virus.

Share your thoughts with us through this survey, which will remain open through Tuesday at 11 a.m.

The survey is meant not to be a scientific poll, but only to give a broad idea of public sentiment.

Take part in our anonymous survey:

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• School Mask Mandate With Opt-Out Provision Approved In Manatee
• School Board Sets Emergency Mask Meeting For Friday Afternoon