Mask Mandate Lifted
By Esther Askiogli, '23
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On Tuesday, November 9th, Miami-Dade County Public Schools announced via Instagram that their mask mandate was being lifted for all schools, including K-8 and elementary schools through an opt-out form for parents. In the post, it was stated that “Parents of students in all schools, including K-8 centers and elementary schools will be able to choose whether their children wear facial coverings through a parental opt-out provision. Parents wishing to avail themselves of this provision will need to complete an opt-out form and return it to their child’s school. Additionally, fully vaccinated employees at all schools may choose not to wear facial coverings.”
Social media post, by MDCPS
Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said after announcing the news, “Conditions are very good, but they may shift if we don’t do the right thing, so we will maintain all other protocols in our schools: the social distancing, utilizing non-traditional spaces, ensuring the deep sanitization cycles in our schools, the deployment of advanced technologies in our schools to guarantee appropriate air ventilation.”
Although no reasons were directly given, the announcement comes as COVID-19 cases in South Florida have reached record lows. Carvalho said, “We are refocusing our attention 100% on student achievement, student attendance, and providing students with the opportunities they need to accelerate their learning toward their full potential.” The announcement also comes after a judge ruled that Governor DeSantis was within his authority to allow parents to opt-out of strict mandates.
Some MAST@FIU students were asked how they felt about the mandate being lifted, and here’s what they had to say.
Freshman Juan Vila responded, “I think it’s good that everyone has a choice for what they want to do. If anyone disagrees, they should be allowed to sit in a table with mask-only students.”
Sophomore Mario Duque responded, “Well, to be honest, it doesn’t really bother me that much anymore. I guess it has to do with just being numb about COVID since it has been almost 2 years since the pandemic started. I guess it’s better that people who are vaccinated can take off their masks, but again it really does not bother me all too much.”
Junior Victoria Lippert responded, “The lifting of the mask mandate with the opt-out form makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. COVID-19 is still a very real issue and the mask mandate has obviously had a big impact on the decrease of COVID rates. Since school is a high-risk area, it makes me worry that our health, as well as our families’ health, is being put at risk without the mask mandate.”
Even though masks are no longer required, school officials still encourage students and staff to wear them. “If there is a significant surge, we are poised to, obviously, take the appropriate steps to address those dynamic health conditions in our community,” said Carvalho.
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