:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/5AM7VA7SKBBTNPTPM673WOQX2M.jpg)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two Jacksonville doctors who have been at the forefront of educating the public during the coronavirus pandemic will be guest speakers at a Duval County School Board emergency meeting Monday to discuss the district’s COVID-19 mitigation measures.
Dr. Mobeen Rathore, chief of pediatric infectious disease at Wolfson Children’s Hospital, as well as Dr. Sunil Joshi, allergist, immunologist and president of the Duval County Medical Society Foundation, will be among those speaking with the board as it reevaluates the mask policy for students. Both have been outspoken in their support for masks and vaccines.
“Wish me luck,” Rathore wrote on Twitter on Sunday. “I pray I don’t let the kids down.”
The district’s current policy strongly recommends masks but allows an opt-out option for those who don’t want to wear one. At the start of the school year, more than 9,600 students or their parents took the opt out, about 7.5% of the student population.
Monday’s meeting was announced after board member Darryl Willie asked for the emergency board meeting. In a letter sent to Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and board chair Elizabeth Andersen, Willie said it’s time to reevaluate the mask policy due to the increasing cases inside schools.
COVID in @DuvalSchools |
— Joe McLean (@JoeMcLeanNews) August 23, 2021
- 9,602 students (7.5% of Brick & mortar) opted out of the face mask rule.
- 3,586 students have enrolled in DVIA (More than twice last year's record-setting enrollment).
- 589 COVID-19 cases ID'd (equals 24% all cases last year).#News4Jax @wjxt4
“To date, we have a quarter of the cases (in 2 weeks) that we had the entire 2020-21 school year,” Willie wrote in the letter. “Our students and employees are becoming sick with a life-threatening virus, and an emergency meeting is needed to discuss this data and alter or change any policy that could help mitigate these cases.”
Joshi on Twitter thanked Willie for calling the meeting.
“Thank you, Darryl Willie!” Joshi tweeted.
Duval’s current mask policy falls in line with an order put in place by Gov. Ron DeSantis in which he banned mask mandates that do not allow an opt out option or that require a doctor’s note to opt out.
“We do know though there are harmful effects of kids not being able to breathe, see facial expressions,” DeSantis said in a previous news conference. “Clearly this is something for the parents to do. For schools to come in and overrule parents’ rights and force masks on kindergartners, first graders, second graders -- that’s a massive overreach.”
People on both sides of the student masking issue are expected to rally outside the Duval County Public Schools building. The Northside Coalition of Jacksonville said it plans to hold a news conference before the board’s meeting at 2 p.m. The group has said supports a mask mandate in schools.
Elsewhere in Florida, the Leon County superintendent announced Sunday that masks will be required for students in prekindergarten through eighth grade, becoming the seventh district to defy Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ban on such COVID-19 mandates, The Associated Press reported.
The other districts that have imposed strict mask mandates are in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Hillsborough, Alachua and Sarasota counties.
"emergency" - Google News
August 23, 2021 at 10:43PM
https://ift.tt/3j7UU4D
Doctors who support students wearing masks to speak at DCPS emergency meeting - WJXT News4JAX
"emergency" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2VVGGYQ
https://ift.tt/3d7MC6X
emergency
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Doctors who support students wearing masks to speak at DCPS emergency meeting - WJXT News4JAX"
Post a Comment