Another Florida county approves mask mandate in defiance of DeSantis

by Cameron Jenkins - 09/01/21 8:33 AM ET

coronavirus COVID-19 community spread delta variant mask mandates school 2021-2022 academic year teachers students phil murphy new jersey governor executive order — PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images
People receive boxes of KN95 face mask during a back to school event offering school supplies, Covid-19 vaccinations, face masks, and other resources for children and their families at the Weingart East Los Angeles YMCA in Los Angeles, California on August 7, 2021.

Another Florida school district on Tuesday made the decision to push back against Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and implement a mandatory mask mandate for its students.

DeSantis issued an order in August stating that parents should have the final say when it comes to kids wearing face coverings in classrooms.

Volusia County School Board decided to enact a temporary mandatory mask policy during an emergency session on Tuesday, according to a local NBC News station.

The policy, which passed by a 3-2 vote, is set to run from Tuesday to Oct. 15 and will include a medical opt-out choice. Parents will be given until Sept. 10 to opt out.

Some community members who were present during the Tuesday session criticized the decision, yelling, “We will not comply.” One person told the board members they “should be ashamed,” the news outlet reported.

Nearly 763 positive coronavirus cases were reported in Volusia County School District since the start of school, according to its coronavirus dashboard. About 617 of those cases were students.

Last month, a district judge blocked DeSantis’s executive order banning mask mandates, arguing that the order was “arbitrary” and “without legal authority.”

Tags COVID-19 DeSantis executive order Florida mask mandate Mask mandate ban Ron DeSantis schools