The Delta type of coronavirus is spreading at lightning speed in Florida. Many pediatricians in the state come up with the same message: Variable delta spreads faster, making many children sicker, and even tapering off, schools should insert bandages, he writes. AP News.
Mouthpieces definitely reduce the spread of infection among children, says Chad Sanborn, an infectious disease specialist at Palm Beach Children’s Hospital.
Although the percentage of children who die or are hospitalized as a result of the coronavirus is still low compared to the overall numbers, the number of children affected is now much greater than it was before in the pandemic.
About 60 children are hospitalized in Florida every day. At the end of June, the daily number was about five.
“As the numbers grow, the frustration grows and it hurts our hearts every day,” Dr. Shelley Collins of Florida Shands Children’s Hospital told The Associated Press.
The surge in infection and critical illness rates came after schools started again in August. Many US schools have bans on the use of bandages in schools.
Freeze money
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says it’s up to parents to decide whether or not their children wear bandages at school. He previously refused schools to impose appetite requirements on rivers and staff.
The Florida government has begun freezing funds for school districts that oppose the ban.
This is despite the fact that a court ruled last week that the ban was unconstitutional. The case was taken up in court after a group of parents sued the governor.
Mouth bands: Students at Barbara Coleman Senior High School wear hourly face masks. Florida authorities have begun freezing funds for school districts that oppose Governor Ron DeSantis’ ban on bandages. Photo: Marta Lavandier/AP/NTB
On Monday, Richard Corcoran, who is responsible for state education authorities, announced that the funds would be withheld from Alachua and Broward counties. Funds will be frozen until school districts comply with the ban on bandages.
Vicki Cartwright, acting school board chairwoman in Broward, said in a statement that the school board believes they are following the law.
The health and safety of students, teachers and staff remains our top priority. Therefore, we will continue to order the use of face masks, knowing the facts are that they help reduce the spread of Covid-19 in our schools, it says in a statement.
School boards were the first two out of ten to introduce requirements for mouth bandages for all students, unless they had medical reasons for a leak. More than half of students at Florida’s public educational institutions are covered under the order.
DeSantis, a Republican who many believe is running as a candidate in the 2024 presidential election, has threatened for several weeks to impose financial penalties on schools requiring students to wear face masks. President Joe Biden said the schools would be compensated with federal funds.
A Florida court ruled last week that Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has no authority to ban school attendance in schools. However, school boards that have issued restraining orders are penalized. Photo: Marta Lavandier/AP/NTB
Investigation of the ban
The US Department of Education is investigating bans on bandages in five states, because the ban could be discriminatory against students with health problems.
In Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah, all governed by Republicans, there is also a ban on requiring students and teachers to wear face masks at school.
The Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights believes the ban can discriminate against students with special needs or other health problems, and prevent them from going to school safely.
– It is unacceptable for political leaders to set policies regarding students’ health and their right to education, says Education Minister Miguel Cardona.
The Biden administration recently intensified its war against Republican politicians who believe that using face masks to protect against the coronavirus should be a personal choice.
The department has not begun investigating states where courts have lifted such bans, such as Florida, Texas, Arkansas and Arizona.
The meeting of parents about bandages ended with an open quarrel: – We know who you are!
High infection rates
The delta variant of the coronavirus, which is more contagious than the original alpha variant. This has led to rising infection rates and record numbers of hospitalizations in Florida since schools reopened.
In mid-August, more than 21,000 new cases were recorded each day, up from about 8,500 a month in advance.
However, the number of hospitalized patients has fallen by about 8 percent in the past week.
So far, nearly 40 million Americans have been infected with the coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic. 640,089 people died as a result, an overview from Johns Hopkins University.
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