Governor DeSantis says masks will not be worn in Florida schools

FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis said wearing masks in schools will not happen in Florida. This comes as COVID-19 cases rise across the country, health experts blaming the Delta variant.

“We got to start putting our kids first. We got to look out for their education. Is it really comfortable, is it really healthy for them to be muzzled and have their breathing obstructed all day long in school? I don’t think it is,” DeSantis said in Fort Pierce Thursday.

In the news conference, DeSantis mentioned how Dr. Anthony Fauci and other officials on the federal level are trying to make masks in schools mandatory.

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy says as we wait for the vaccine to become available to children under 12, they should be wearing masks in schools; it’s a key strategy to keeping students in class.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended face coverings in schools whether you’re vaccinated or not, earlier this week. However, the CDC suggests masks for anyone 2 years and older that has their shots.

The rise in new cases is happening across all age groups, including children. In Duval County, 49 percent of people ages 12 or older had received at least one vaccine dose as of last Thursday, according to the latest available state data.

Less than half, or 46 percent, of the nearly 2.8 million people in Florida between the ages of 30 and 39 have been vaccinated. That rate drops to 38 percent for people between the ages of 20 and 29 and 33 percent for those ages 12 to 19.

New coronavirus cases are on the rise across the Sunshine State. COVID-19 cases nearly doubled last week, topping 45,000.

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