Kids ages 12 to 19 are leading other age groups in Florida in the rate at which they test positive for COVID-19 — a sobering data point that comes as Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) fights tooth and nail against school mask mandates.
Children in that age group who are tested have a positivity rate of 25 percent, per the Tampa Bay Times. And kids 12 and younger have a rate of 23 percent.
The disturbing numbers come amid DeSantis and Florida state officials’ relentless attacks on school districts that have bucked the governor’s ban on requiring students and school staff to wear masks without an opt-out option except for those with medical conditions.
More than five counties have implemented mask mandates despite the ban, including Sarasota County, the first GOP-lead county in the state to do so. Leon County Schools became the latest district to establish a mandate on Sunday.
The school districts’ defiance of DeSantis’ order has prompted harsh tactics from state-level officials.
Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran announced on Friday that Broward and Alachua counties had 48 hours to reverse their mask mandates before the state would begin withholding the salaries of the school board members who voted for the policies.
How anyone can support this crude nihilist I will never understand. WTF is wrong with these people?
By the way:
Florida becomes first US state where the daily deaths in current wave have exceeded previous waves.
My earlier thread on Florida and why this is happening. Some not in our direct control: delta variant. Some in our control: 50% fully vaccinated is simply not enough. Relaxing mask requirements and preventing mask mandates is not good policy. #GetVaccinated #WearAMask
Please don’t blame vaccines not working as the cause for rising death rate in Florida. Vaccines are working to prevent deaths in many other countries that have seen post vaccine spike in cases; and most other states in the US as well. Florida is different.
What’s different in Florida is that relative to the vaccination rate (~50%) the relaxation of distancing and masking was disproportionately high. Leaders expressed disdain for masks and mask mandates. The total number of people unvaccinated is high. And hospitals got overwhelmed.
And of course this is happening exactly when it shouldn’t: when delta is at its peak.
Familiar? Yes. We have seen this before. We just didn’t quite think it will happen in a vaccine rich, resource rich state in 2021.
Originally tweeted by Vincent Rajkumar (@VincentRK) on August 22, 2021.
Meanwhile here’s California:
Ane we’re the ones recalling the Governor. Jesus …