Parents have the option to apply for a medical accommodation, but the child must continue to wear a mask until the application is processed and approved.
Florida is in the midst of a COVID-19 case surge brought on largely by the spread of the Delta variant. The state on Monday reported 42,143 COVID-19 cases and 726 deaths to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the Miami Herald.
Since the start of the pandemic, Florida has recorded over 3 million cases and 43,000 deaths related to the coronavirus.
“We understand that some families strongly oppose the masks and some families are proponents of students wearing masks. We have received calls and emails on both sides of this issue,” Gelo noted, offering his rationale for the decision in the memorandum.
“Unfortunately, the data released on August 19, 2021 by the Florida Department of Health indicates continued upward trends in the number of positive cases per 100,000 in each county. The peak is not expected for a few more weeks and we are looking for numbers of less then [sic] 100/100,000. New case positivity rates are also continuing to increase in our area,” he wrote.
Palm Beach is not the only Florida diocese implementing a mask mandate for the start of the school year. The Diocese of St. Augustine has faced some opposition to its mask mandate, which was promulgated two days before the start of the school year. Dozens of parents have since gathered outside the diocesan offices protesting the decision.
Credit: Source link
