Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Florida won’t implement mask mandates on public school children amid the COVID-19 pandemic, coming after federal health officials have suggested that unvaccinated kids and school staff should wear masks while in class.
“There’s been talk about potentially people advocating at the federal level, imposing compulsory masks on kids,” DeSantis said during a bill signing event in Fort Pierce on Thursday. “We’re not doing that in Florida, OK? We need our kids to breathe.”
“Parents obviously can equip their kids to go to school however they want, but there shouldn’t be any coercive mandates on our schools,” he said, adding that masks are “terribly” uncomfortable for kids.
DeSantis said he and Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls, a Republican, would back a special legislative session if the federal government mandates masks in schools instead of merely issuing guidance. Instead of wearing masks and lockdowns, DeSantis has urged Floridians to get vaccinated against COVID-19. He said Florida districts would keep mask wearing as optional.
“As of right now, all the school districts are going in that direction. But there is going to be, it looks like, a campaign from Washington to try to change that. I’ve talked to Chris Sprowls, if we need to bring (lawmakers) back in to be able to do something from the legislative perspective, he’s all in,” the governor said.
