Face coverings will be optional in Seminole County schools during the 2021-22 school year.
Seminole County had already voted to make masks optional earlier this year, but the surge of the Delta variant raised doubts among school board members. Members of the school board argued over mask mandates at a board meeting on Tuesday, with member Kristine Kraus championing masks for younger students due to recent coronavirus spikes. “The elephant in the room is we’re seeing the number of infections of COVID, the Delta variant, increase,” Kraus said, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Kraus’ suggestion was voted down 3-1. Based on data from the Florida Department of Health, Seminole County saw about 1,600 new COVID-19 cases last week.
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This article appears in Jul 28 – Aug 3, 2021.