No Masks Or Quarantines Needed At Child Care Facilities: State

FLORIDA — Flying in the face of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's new COVID-19 guidelines, on Thursday Florida Department of Children and Families Secretary Shevaun Harris said the DCF is further relaxing COVID-19 restrictions for child care facilities and providers.

Saying the CDC's guidelines are "antiquated and have forced Florida families to miss work and school even when it is safe to return," the DCF is eliminating the need for children in child care to quarantine at home if they're exposed to someone who tests positive.

And while the CDC continues to recommend that children over age 2 and staff wear masks, the Department of Children and Families has dropped that requirement.

“Our department’s top priority is the well-being of Florida’s children," Harris said. "We know that unnecessary regulations resulting in overbearing isolation requirements can be detrimental to both a child’s mental and physical health. Gov. Ron DeSantis’ leadership in ensuring that children and families are not hindered by burdensome procedures has allowed people to live freely in Florida.”

DeSantis said the new guidelines are intended to relieve parents from the loss of income by having to stay home with children in quarantine who show no COVID-19 symptoms.

"Florida is supporting parents with children in day care by updating outdated, unscientific guidelines that hurt working families and keep kids out of school," DeSantis said. "Florida is making it clear that healthy children in day care do not need to quarantine; children in day care who test positive for COVID-19 can return after five days, with no test required. This guidance also reiterates that children attending day care should never be forced to wear a mask — this choice should always be made by the parent."

Under the new DCF guidelines:

• Children who have a COVID-19 exposure or close contact, but have no symptoms, are not required to quarantine and can remain in the classroom.
• If a child is COVID-19 symptomatic or COVID-19 positive, they should stay home while symptoms persist. The child will be able to return to the classroom after five days have passed since the onset of symptoms and are fever free for 24 hours.
• Children in a child care facility are not required to wear a mask or face covering.
• Child care facilities are encouraged to continue to routinely clean classrooms and high-traffic areas.
• Children and staff are encouraged to practice routine handwashing throughout the day.

In contrast, the CDC still recommends a five-day quarantine for children exposed to the coronavirus, vaccinations for all children who are eligible and masks for workers and children over the age of 2.

The new DCF guidelines were issued the same day DeSantis and Florida General Joseph Ladapo announced that they are "pushing back on unscientific corporate masking" of employees.

In a joint statement, DeSantis and Ladapo said many corporations have continued to require employees to wear masks at work "despite a lack of evidence that masks, and particularly cloth face coverings, prevent the transmission of COVID-19."

Saying there is no strong evidence that masks reduce the transmission of respiratory illness, DeSantis said Florida’s new masking guidance advise against wearing facial coverings in a community setting.

He said the new guidelines make it "clear that all employees at a corporation should not be forced to wear a mask while at work. The guidance recognizes that there are millions of employees in Florida working in industries from hospitality to manufacturing to banking who, for no reason whatsoever, have been forced to wear a mask at work."

Additionally, DeSantis said the Department of Education will drop the need for public school students to quarantine for five days if exposed to COVID-19.

“People want to live freely in Florida, without corporate masking creating a two-tier society and without overbearing isolation for children,” said DeSantis. “We are empowering health care practitioners to follow science, not Fauci’s status quo.”

Ladapo further indicated that the CDC's continued push for vaccinations is misguided.

“The state of Florida has widespread natural and vaccine-induced immunity,” he said. “Evidence suggests that most secondary transmission occurs early on. Our state will continue to make decisions for Floridians rooted in sound science, not fear, whether they are working or in school.”

"COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States are effective at protecting people from getting seriously ill, getting hospitalized, and even dying," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said during a White House briefing Jan. 26 to announce the agency's plans to loosen some of its COVID-19 guidelines. "As with vaccines for other diseases, people who are up to date are optimally protected. The CDC recommends that everyone 5 years and older get their primary series of COVID-19 vaccines, and receive a booster dose when eligible."

See related story: CDC Updates COVID Mask Guidelines: What It Means In Florida