Florida Gov. DeSantis lines up with House on plan to penalize school districts for mask mandates
Gov. Ron DeSantis appeared to do an about-face on his initial opposition to a House plan that would shift $200 million away from school districts that required students to wear masks last year during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brevard school acknowledges putting mask on girl with Down syndrome, police find no crime committed
After the story of a 7-year-old girl with Down syndrome having a mask tied onto her face while at school in Brevard County gained national attention, an investigation by Indian Harbor Beach police found there was no evidence to suggest that the mask being tied to the girl constituted some form of child abuse.
Florida inches closer to legal battle with feds over school mask penalties
Top Florida education officials inched closer to a legal battle with the Biden administration over federal reimbursements for school districts that were dinged financially by the state for imposing student mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/QG3WHOYBEZGWFIYQRTG2XN6LAE.png)
Florida’s top doctor blames inability to ‘communicate clearly’ for mask refusal
Florida's surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, is now responding days after he was asked to leave a meeting with Democratic state Sen. Tina Polsky — who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer — because he refused to wear a mask.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/10-25-2021/t_3718e313a4664d19b5a97495babc35d6_name_image.jpg)
School mask policies changing throughout Central Florida as transmission declines
Changes are coming when it comes to school mask policies. Seminole County’s Medical Director Dr. Todd Husty said with lower levels of transmission and positivity rates, people are making personal decisions when it comes to masks.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/08-23-2021/t_3c7b71aca28542f1bc790f1ae8a2b824_name_image.jpg)
Pressure is mounting for Orange County Public Schools as parents, teachers call for mask mandate
Outside of the Orange County Public School headquarters, pressure is mounting for the school board to enact mask mandates with no option of opting out as parents, teachers and educators call for a mask mandate.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/FUVIPFCEHJBQZFEXZPPGILTBSY.jpg)
Big Florida school districts defy governor over mask mandate
Hillsborough and Miami-Dade counties have become the third and fourth school districts in Florida to adopt stricter mask mandates, a day after school boards in Broward and Alachua counties faced threats of severe penalties for defying Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration, which says parents should decide whether their children wear masks.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/FUVIPFCEHJBQZFEXZPPGILTBSY.jpg)
Florida school district flip-flops over mask mandate, awaits guidance on DeSantis order
A Florida school district is “waiting for guidance” after reversing its initial mask mandate due to the governor’s executive order that bans mandates and threatens to cut funding from districts that do not comply.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/03-30-2021/t_a1c8df7c99894f4085712210a1619338_name_image.jpg)
Volusia County school district debates making masks optional
DeLAND, Fla. – The Volusia County school board held a workshop Tuesday where the county health department gave it suggestions on its mask mandate but the decision is still up for debate. Patricia Boswell, director of the county health department, told the board the mandate should stay in place for now. Elizabeth Albert, President of the Volusia United Educators union, said masks are one of the teachers’ only lines of defense and not enough have been fully vaccinated yet. She hopes the board will re-evaluate the mask policy at the end of summer school. AdTo keep up with the latest news on the pandemic, subscribe to News 6′s coronavirus newsletter and go to ClickOrlando.com/coronavirus.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/03-10-2021/t_a1b49d6d5750490ebe361c353a9417f2_name_image.jpg)
Seminole County leaders debate future of mask mandate
SEMINOLE COUNT, Fla. – As more people get vaccinated, elected leaders in Seminole County are demanding answers about mask mandates. Seminole County Commissioners discussed the county’s mask mandate Tuesday asking tough questions about ways to move forward and looking for a better timeline for the county’s COVID-19 response. County Manager Nicole Guillet said they’ve invited medical experts and have been in touch with them during the pandemic. Ad“Both advisory groups have advised Seminole County not to adjust the mitigation efforts that are currently in place,” Harris said. Harris said the plan is to bring more medical advisors to the next commission meeting to better clarify where things stand.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/4FC2U7SANFB5FKYGWLURTEHQ2M.jpg)
Men posed as US marshals to avoid wearing face masks at Florida resort, officials say
Officers and a real U.S. marshal arrived and arrested the men on charges of impersonating a federal officer. They told investigators an employee gave Brown Jr. a mask and asked him to wear it. AdThe next day, Brown Jr. returned to the front desk to extend his stay. Investigators learned the men had ever been employed as U.S. marshals or by the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, the complaint said. The facemask exempt cards the men wore around their necks were also fake, according to the complaint.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/TNUYLCSTCVDTPMOTM4K33ATYSA.jpg)
What’s with the confusion over masks and the coronavirus? We explain
Health authorities have changed their guidance on who should wear masks and when to wear them. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has long advised people to wear masks because they help prevent people who are infected — whether they know it or not — from spreading the coronavirus. But when BOTH people are wearing masks, that produced the best result. For example, study participants who were supposed to wear masks sometimes didn’t. The president also held rallies that brought together thousands of supporters, most of them not wearing masks.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/325GNUQEFNEY7CCM4MOOLSQNBM.jpg)
Woman makes 700 masks for her community, complete with welcoming front-yard display
Still, creating 700 face masks seems to transcend just “the basics,” wouldn’t you say? Moore’s personal project started in April, when Gleaners Community Food Bank asked for help from the community in making face masks for the group’s volunteers, and Moore decided she would lend a hand. Now she estimates she’s made hundreds of face masks for anyone who needs one. She uses some basic patterns and others that are a little more fun, and said she’s working on 50 Halloween-themed masks at the moment. When COVID-19 started, Moore was laid off for three months, so she had some extra time on her hands.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/YDLVFPY4NFHV3IMIROLGYCZBTI.jpg)
Cocoa Beach ends mask mandate but businesses can still require face coverings
COCOA BEACH, Fla. – Kenne Wells said she is not changing the mask requirement at her store, the Coastal Market, after the City of Cocoa Beach ended its mask mandate on Monday. Wells said she’s making a new sign for her customers, so they know they still have to wear a mask inside the market. Even though the city won’t require masks anymore, businesses can still require face coverings. The change comes after city leaders saw a drop in positive COVID-19 cases and because the governor no longer allows cities to fine people not wearing masks. Since the pandemic started I’ve lived inside, bubble boy, and it doesn’t show any signs of stopping,” Viola said.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/CR5IUFV6HNBJ7LZVPNVDR2K3AM.jpg)
Wearing a creative or fun face mask? We want to see
This time last year, we were beginning to talk about what kinds of fun costumes and masks we might wear for Halloween. Nowadays, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, masks are an every day, everywhere kind of thing. In an effort to fight the spread of the coronavirus, masks have been mandated for wear in plenty of places, so perhaps your mask has become second nature. That not only makes it a little more fun for those wearing the masks, but for us who are out people-watching (and unable to actually see people’s faces). And perhaps you just might give some others some fun ideas to work with.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/MRPBIDXMYVD7ZCKMKSWJGNDKP4.jpg)
Face masks required: Not in all U.S. schools, but it’s happening in Spain
MADRID – Masks will be mandatory for all students in Spain, ages 6 or older, when returning to schools in September because of increased coronavirus cases, the government announced Thursday. Previously, masks were only required for students above age 12 by some Spanish regions. Students will receive a daily body temperature check, must wash hands at least five times per day and classrooms will need frequent ventilation, the government said. That allows localized quarantines if there’s a positive test, rather than closing entire schools. Parents and teachers have expressed concern, with new waves of outbreaks since the country emerged from a strict lockdown.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/08-12-2020/t_cb654af75b3141d3a2c9cd9a1e29d67d_name_billywoods.jpg)
‘I can already hear the whining:’ Florida sheriff bans masks for deputies
OCALA, Fla. – A central Florida sheriff says his deputies won’t be allowed to wear face masks except under some conditions, and neither will visitors to the sheriff’s office. On Wednesday, Florida reported 213 new coronavirus deaths. In these situations, the mask should be removed when giving orders or commands to comply, the sheriff said. At the sheriff’s office, masks won’t be allowed so that visitors can be easily identified and there is clear communication, the sheriff said. The sheriff’s decision came as the county’s largest city, Ocala, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northwest of Orlando, was debating implementing a face mask mandate.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/MFKSISDEVRADBHB2MXBCT2DDMQ.jpg)
This Florida city has issued $14,400 in fines to mask violators
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Police and city officials in Miami Beach have issued $14,400 in fines to people who weren't wearing facial coverings to help stop the spread of COVID-19. The city has issued 288 $50 fines since July 23, the newspaper reported. Body-camera footage from Miami Beach Code Compliance captured three stops from July 23, which offers a glimpse into how the city enforces its order, the newspaper reported. Each inspection began the same way, with a code officer taking a photo of the alleged violator, and then approaching to ask for ID to write the ticket. “I didn’t know you needed it (outdoors).”In Miami-Dade County, a similar ordinance issued July 16 comes with a $100 fine.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/MUEPON3RMRGLDIWMKMFVVMO6LI.jpg)
Couple wears swastika masks in Minnesota Walmart
MARSHALL, Minn. – A couple in Minnesota wore red face masks emblazoned with swastikas to a Walmart in a video posted on social media. Another shopper, Raphaela Mueller, who is a vicar of a southwest Minnesota parish, posted video on Facebook of the man and woman being confronted by others in the store, the Star Tribune reported. Walmart already requires customers to wear masks at its namesake and Sam's Club stores. The individuals became belligerent and were asked to leave the store by store management,” Walmart said. The couple’s trespass ban is for at least a year and applies to all Walmart stores, the company said.