Cooper added that masks are necessary for a safe school environment, citing the “higher risk of infection to children” of the Delta variant, which is now the predominant strain of the virus, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s“We had a different, less infectious, less dangerous form of virus last year than we have this year,” the judge said. “As the facts change on the ground, the need or failure to need for various measures will also change.
Even before Cooper’s decision, many Florida school districts were planning to start the school year with mask mandates in place. At least 10 school districtsdespite DeSantis’ order and his administration’s threats of “consequences,” such as stripping funding for districts that don’t comply. Democrats in the state applauded Judge Cooper’s decision, which will likely go into effect next week when he issues a written ruling. “The court did not have to go through legal contortion in order to come to a conclusion supported by precedent, science and common sense,” said Rep. Michael Grieco . “The judge followed the law, something I wish everyone else in government would do, especially when we are talking about the health of children and educators.
But in his ruling, the judge countered the argument that the decision not to mask is a private health care choice, comparing not masking to drunk driving. “It’s our right to drink alcoholic beverages if we’re over 21, but we cannot get in our car and start driving around while we’ve had alcoholic beverages that impair our ability to drive,” Cooper said. “And the reason is, the driver exercising his or her right to drink is now putting at risk other people.
Masks are even more necessary in Florida now as Covid continues to ravage the state. According to calculations of CDC data by the
He is the PLH (plague's little helper).
RSPolitics Vote for NikkiFried. A woman would be a better Governor than GovRonDeSantis or CharlieCrist. We’ve protected kids from getting sick for centuries. COVID won’t stand a chance.