Educators in states without school mask mandates are concerned about the COVID-19 omicron variant
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by Alexandra Martinez This article was originally published at Prism The World Health Organization has designated the new COVID-19 variant, omicron, as a variant of concern, with cases already being reported in California and Minnesota, adding anotEducators in states without school mask mandates are concerned about the COVID-19 omicron variant
by Alexandra Martinez This article was originally published at Prism The World Health Organization has designated the new COVID-19 variant, omicron, as a variant of concern, with cases already being reported in California and Minnesota, adding another risk for educators in nine states where wearing a mask in the classroom is optional. In states like Oklahoma and Utah, students or their parents can opt out of school mask mandates if they choose, and local school districts can still determine whether or not they need a mask mandate. But in Florida, Gov. Ron Desantis signed a bill that explicitly forbids school districts in the state from requiring masks in the classroom. Parents are even allowed to sue the school district, ensuring they have sole discretion over whether their children wear a mask and placing their classmates’ and educators’ well-being in their hands. In Texas, a federal appeals court just reinstated Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order that prohibits masks in schools on Dec. 1 in spite of the new variant. Now that omicron is a variant of concern, the stakes are raised for educators in mask-optional states. COVID-19 has disproportionately affected Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, with Black people accounting for 15% of COVID-19 deaths where race of the victim is known in the country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Black Americans are 2.6 times as likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 as white Americans, and about twice as likely to die from the virus. Read more
