ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The Orange County Teachers Union wants the school board to look at universal masking as coronavirus cases increase in Central Florida.
Mayor Jerry Demings and Dr. Raul Pino said Orange County is now seeing COVID-19 cases in numbers similar to what the area saw in January.
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On July 13, the school board made masks optional for the upcoming school year after a 7-1 vote.
“[Monday] the American Academy of Pediatrics said all individuals over age 2 should wear masks in schools when they reopen this Fall,” the teachers union said in a Facebook post.
At the moment, only students 12 and over have an opportunity to get a coronavirus vaccine.
“The AAP said universal masking is necessary because much of the student population is not vaccinated, and it’s hard for schools to determine who is as new variants emerge that might spread more easily among children,” the teachers union said in a Facebook post.
AAP officials said everyone older than the age of 2 should wear masks in school even if a student is fully vaccinated.
A school board meeting is scheduled for July 27, this will be a Budget Public Hearing.
A school board meeting is also scheduled for Aug. 10.