Mask mandate for all Orange County Public Schools will end over the weekend

ONLY VERY SMALL TRACES WERE FOUND, B TUTHE CDC HAS SAID IT’S KEEPING AN EYE ON THE VARIANT. HOURS AGO, THE ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT MADE ETH ANNOUNCEMENT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WAITING TO HR.EA BEGINNING NEXT WEEK, MASK WILL NO LONGER BE MANDATED FOR STUDENTS. SUMMER: WESH 2’S KELSI THORUD BREAKS DOWN THE NEW RULE, WHICH DOESN’T PLAPY TO EVERYE.ON KELSI: BEGINNING NEXT WEEK, ORANGE COUNTY PARENTS WILL AGAIN HAVE THE OPTION TO SEND THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL WHOITUT A MK.AS ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS RELEASING THIS STATEMENT THURSDAY, ANNOUNCING THE DISTRICT’S MANDATORY SKMA MANDATE WILL END THIS SATURDAY AND BE REPLACED WITH A VERSION WHERE PARENTS CAN OPT-OUT. >> I EXPECT MORE TEACHERTOS LEAVE. I EXPECT MORE PARENTS TO PULL THEIR KIDS OUT OF SCHO. KELSI: WENDY DOROMAL, PRESIDENT OF THE ORANGE COUNTY TEACHERS UNION, SAYS MOST TEACHERS WAEDNT THE MANDATE TO STAY. >> THE VAST MAJORITY OF TEACRS DO NOT FEEL THEY’RE RESPECTED OR APPRECIATED BY THE SCHOOL BOARD OR DISTRICT LEADERS. KELSI: SUPERINTENDENT DR. BARBARA JENKINS WROTE THAT SHE CAME TO HER DECISION AFTER CONSULTING WITH COUNTY OICLSFF AND SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, NOTING THE SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN LOCAL COVID CASES AS A KEY FACTOR. I THINK IT’S TIME TO LET OUR KIDS SEE EACH OTHER AND BREATH KELSI: PARENTS IN SUPPORT OF THE OPT-OUT SAY IT’S LONG OVERDUE. BUT THOSE AGAINST IT SAY THEY’RE NOW WORRIED FOR THR DSEI ' ’ SAFETY. >>T' ’S VERY WORRYING THAT THE POTENTIAL THAT SHE COULD BE SURROUNDED BY KIDS AND HER CLASS AND HER SCHOOL THAT AREN’T MASKED, AND ALSO, OF COURSE, NOT YET VACCINATED. KELSI: THE VACCINE IS NOYET T AVAILABLE TO KIDS UNDER 12. BUT IT COULD BE AS EARLY AS NEXT WE. IN THE MEANTIME, DR. RAJIV BAHL A LOCAL EMERGENCY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN SAYS PARENTS SHOULD MASK UP THEIR KIDS, EVEN IF IT’S NOT MANDATORY. >> I THINK TAKING THE BEST COSEUR OF ACTION WOULD BE TO WEAR IT AS IT’S SHOWN THAT MASKS CAN AND WILL PREVENT THE SPREAD OF ILLNESS. KELSI: THE SCHOOL DISTRICT’S NEW MANDATE STILL REQUIRES ALL ADULTS WEAR MASKS IN SCHOOLS. THE DISTRI SCTAYS ADULTS SHO

The face mask mandate for all Orange County Public School buildings and buses expires on Oct. 30. Superintendent Barbara Jenkins announced the decision Thursday evening. "After speaking with local medical advisers and board members, noting the significant reduction in the number of COVID-19 cases in Orange County, and hearing Mayor Demings announce the end of his local emergency order, Superintendent Jenkins determined not to extend the face mask mandate for students. Orange County Public Schools will return to required face masks with a parental opt-out provision starting Monday, Nov. 1," OCPS wrote in a statement. Employees, visitors and volunteers will still be required to wear a face mask.The decision was prefaced by a lot of debate by parents. Eric Grimmer is on the mask-up side. He doesn't want his kindergartener maskless until kids 12 and under can get the shot. "It will also take us through the end of the semester and into winter break for schools. So we know when the holidays come up, people are going to start traveling around the country getting on planes and visiting their family which is wonderful," Grimmer said. What would be awful, Grimmer says, is if his daughter caught COVID-19 at school and brought it home to their 3-year old. So she will be masking up either way. "Don't get me wrong, I want to get the mask off us and our kids as soon as we possibly can," Grimmer said. But moms like Melissa Minyard argue the time is now for her daughter who is trying to enjoy her last years in high school.Minyard said keeping the mask mandate would make her "completely helpless." "I don't think that Orange County schools at this point are very concerned about the parents and where we're coming from is particularly those of us who are not in supportive, maintaining the mask mandate," Minyard said.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. —

The face mask mandate for all Orange County Public School buildings and buses expires on Oct. 30.

Superintendent Barbara Jenkins announced the decision Thursday evening.

"After speaking with local medical advisers and board members, noting the significant reduction in the number of COVID-19 cases in Orange County, and hearing Mayor Demings announce the end of his local emergency order, Superintendent Jenkins determined not to extend the face mask mandate for students. Orange County Public Schools will return to required face masks with a parental opt-out provision starting Monday, Nov. 1," OCPS wrote in a statement.

Employees, visitors and volunteers will still be required to wear a face mask.

The decision was prefaced by a lot of debate by parents.

Eric Grimmer is on the mask-up side. He doesn't want his kindergartener maskless until kids 12 and under can get the shot.

"It will also take us through the end of the semester and into winter break for schools. So we know when the holidays come up, people are going to start traveling around the country getting on planes and visiting their family which is wonderful," Grimmer said.

What would be awful, Grimmer says, is if his daughter caught COVID-19 at school and brought it home to their 3-year old.

So she will be masking up either way.

"Don't get me wrong, I want to get the mask off us and our kids as soon as we possibly can," Grimmer said.

But moms like Melissa Minyard argue the time is now for her daughter who is trying to enjoy her last years in high school.

Minyard said keeping the mask mandate would make her "completely helpless."

"I don't think that Orange County schools at this point are very concerned about the parents and where we're coming from is particularly those of us who are not in supportive, maintaining the mask mandate," Minyard said.

Mask mandate for all Orange County Public Schools will end over the weekend

TRACKING THE COVID-19 VACCINE

Top Picks