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.
Some of that positivity rate may be the result of observational bias (only people who get tested are the ones with symptoms, for the most part), but that would be true of other age groups as well. It does suggest (for better or worse, mostly worse) that infections may start declining by winter simply because the state will have run out of locals to infect.
For an excellent summary of the Republican leadership response, read this link from today’s NYT:
What surprises me is not that Republican leadership is arguing against masks, but they are taking active actions to financially penalize others (is this even legal?) from doing so and stating that we should, even as data continues to support wearing masks as part of a best medical practice to fight against the virus. They appear to be proposing and following a nihilistic program? For what end? This far right political belief that Trump tapped into and all too many Republican leaders have supported and defended has taken on a mutating life of its own (while literally killing real people) and still continues to morph even though the consequences have become more and more lethal. Again, I repeat myself, but how can any politician call themselves a Republican. The label is forever stained with deaths and actions that are simply despicable. This is not a political party any longer, but a death cult. Time to wake up.
Yet it still doesn’t matter to some, and they died as a consequence.
Is it normal for school board members to be paid the salary DeSatan is threatening to withhold? Our school district members are all volunteer.
FDA just gave full approval to Pfizer vaccine for ages 16+
Woot.
So one antivaxx talking point falls.
Don’t worry, they have a long list. One less won’t make a difference. Indeed, they likely will have thought up 16 new ones before the end of the day.