Schools in Florida, Texas defy ban on mask mandates

MIAMI • School districts in Florida and Texas are bucking their Republican governors' bans on requiring masks for children and teachers as Covid-19 cases soar in conservative areas with low vaccination rates.

The Broward County school board in Florida on Tuesday became the latest major district to flout an order by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis outlawing mask requirements in that state.

It prompted the administration of US President Joe Biden, a Democrat, to say it was considering supporting the school districts financially if Mr DeSantis retaliates against them by withholding funds from officials' salaries.

The Dallas Independent School District said on Monday it would also require masks, despite an order banning such mandates from Republican Governor Greg Abbott.

The acts of rebellion by school officials come as these states are flooded with Covid-19 cases after people resisted vaccines and mask mandates. Teachers and administrators are seeking to protect students, many of whom are under the age of 12 and cannot get vaccinated.

Fuelled by the highly contagious Delta variant, US cases and hospitalisations have soared to six-month highs with no flattening of the curve in sight.

Based on populations, Florida, Louisiana and Arkansas are leading the nation with new cases and Covid-19 patients hospitalised. Texas is not far behind.

In Arkansas, where only eight intensive care beds were available for Covid-19 patients on Monday, Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson said he regrets supporting a ban on mask mandates in his state.

In Florida, where nearly one out of every three hospital beds is occupied by a Covid-19 patient, a surgeon in Orlando said hospitals in the area were "overflowing" with the unvaccinated.

"We need a field hospital. Please help us," Dr Sam Atallah, a surgeon at AdventHealth, wrote on Twitter. "We are in a state of emergency."

In Dallas, where some staff had threatened to quit if masks were not mandated to protect children, teachers and other people, school district officials said they did not believe the governor's order should be applied to them. Schools in Austin also plan to require masks.

The Dallas district said on its website: "Governor Abbott's order does not limit the district's rights as an employer and educational institution to establish reasonable and necessary safety rules for its staff and students."

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, the county's top executive, said on Monday that he asked a district court to block Mr Abbott's order that prevents local governments from implementing mask mandates.

"The enemy is not each other," Mr Jenkins said. "The enemy is the virus, and we must all do all that we can to protect public health."

In San Antonio, officials also ordered masks to be worn in public schools, after a judge granted a temporary injunction to allow the mandate in a blow to Mr Abbott.

In Florida, where lawsuits have also been filed challenging the anti-mask order, Mr DeSantis has threatened to withhold salaries from school district officials who flout his ban. The threat prompted a response from Mr Biden's administration, which is considering reimbursing school officials who lose their pay if Mr DeSantis follows through.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Tuesday: "We're continuing to look into what our options are to help protect and help support these teachers and administrators who are taking steps to protect the people in their communities."

Mr DeSantis stood by his statewide order banning mask mandates on Tuesday, saying it allows parents to decide whether to have their children wear masks for class.

The Republican rising star, who is closely tied to former president Donald Trump, has become a national figure for opposing pandemic restrictions. Mr DeSantis is widely seen as weighing a potential 2024 challenge for the presidency.

REUTERS