Mask Guidance Divides Parents, Officials Before New School Year
2021-08-06
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1U.S. health officials are recommending that children wear masks this autumn when they return to school.
2Parents and policy makers however are debating whether face coverings should be required.
3The delta variant of the coronavirus now threatens to effect normal behavior for the third school year.
4Some states have decided they will listen to the federal government's guidance and require masks.
5Others will leave the decision up to parents.
6The situation takes place at a time when many Americans want pandemic restrictions to end.
7Others fear their children will be put at risk by those who do not follow the restrictions.
8In a few states, lawmakers passed laws barring schools from requiring masks.
9In Connecticut, protests against mask requirements have happened outside Governor Ned Lamont's home in Hartford.
10Street signs call on him to "unmask our kids."
11The governor has said that he is likely to follow the latest advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
12Last week, the CDC recommended indoor masks for all teachers, employees, students and visitors at schools nationwide.
13It said people should wear masks whether or not they have been vaccinated.
14The agency said this was to stop the spread of the highly contagious delta variant.
15The CDC has said even vaccinated people are getting infected.
16Alima Bryant is the mother of four children.
17She organizes parents in opposition to mask requirements in Branford, Connecticut.
18She said she believes scientists have overstated the dangers of COVID-19, especially for children.
19She said she will take her children out of school rather than force them to wear masks, which she believes are dangerous.
20"I can imagine how often they're touching dirty things, then touching the mask," she said.
21Other parents such as Ryan Zimmerman, of Lenexa, Kansas, fear the refusal to wear a mask will just keep the pandemic around longer.
22In Johnson County, Kansas, five school districts recommend, but do not require, masks.
23A sixth school district has not yet decided.
24Zimmerman spoke at a recent meeting of county commissioners.
25He said that if masks are not required "95 percent of kids won't be wearing them."
26He said requiring masks is not government control.
27"It is about doing unto others as you want them to do unto you," he said.
28But another public meeting in Broward County, Florida, had to be stopped this week.
29More than 20 parents opposed to masks shouted at school officials and burned masks outside.
30Vivian Hug is a Navy veteran.
31She said she was tired of the "fear mongering" and giving up "freedoms in the name of safety."
32Dr. Karyl Rattay is director of the Delaware Division of Public Health.
33She said there is no evidence masks are unsafe for children.
34She said the science is clear that face coverings have prevented the spread of COVID-19 in schools.
35"Masks are a key component," she said, to getting children back in school this year.
36There is also a campaign to get older children vaccinated.
37President Joe Biden has asked schools to open vaccine centers for children 12 years or older.
38Some states are also beginning to discuss whether to require school employees to be vaccinated or to regularly take tests for the coronavirus.
39"To me that seems very reasonable," said Dr. Joseph Kanter.
40He is the state health officer of the Louisiana Department of Health.
41"You maintain some choice in there. And clearly most people are going to look at that and say it makes sense for them to get vaccinated," he said.
42The vaccine from the drug company Pfizer is the only U.S. vaccine authorized for children 12 years and up.
43Moderna expects the Food and Drug Administration to decide soon on its vaccine for children 12 years and up.
44All vaccines in the U.S. are available through Emergency Use Authorization only.
45Moderna also said that it expects to have enough information to ask for FDA approval of its vaccine for young children by late 2021 or early 2022.
46Pfizer has said it expects to ask for approval in September for children ages 5 through 11.
47Kanter urges families to vaccinate all children.
48He said the argument that they will rarely get severely ill from COVID-19 is no longer true with the Delta variant.
49I'm Susan Shand.
1U.S. health officials are recommending that children wear masks this autumn when they return to school. 2Parents and policy makers however are debating whether face coverings should be required. 3The delta variant of the coronavirus now threatens to effect normal behavior for the third school year. Some states have decided they will listen to the federal government's guidance and require masks. Others will leave the decision up to parents. 4The situation takes place at a time when many Americans want pandemic restrictions to end. Others fear their children will be put at risk by those who do not follow the restrictions. 5In a few states, lawmakers passed laws barring schools from requiring masks. 6In Connecticut, protests against mask requirements have happened outside Governor Ned Lamont's home in Hartford. Street signs call on him to "unmask our kids." The governor has said that he is likely to follow the latest advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 7Last week, the CDC recommended indoor masks for all teachers, employees, students and visitors at schools nationwide. It said people should wear masks whether or not they have been vaccinated. The agency said this was to stop the spread of the highly contagious delta variant. The CDC has said even vaccinated people are getting infected. 8Alima Bryant is the mother of four children. She organizes parents in opposition to mask requirements in Branford, Connecticut. She said she believes scientists have overstated the dangers of COVID-19, especially for children. She said she will take her children out of school rather than force them to wear masks, which she believes are dangerous. 9"I can imagine how often they're touching dirty things, then touching the mask," she said. 10Other parents such as Ryan Zimmerman, of Lenexa, Kansas, fear the refusal to wear a mask will just keep the pandemic around longer. 11In Johnson County, Kansas, five school districts recommend, but do not require, masks. A sixth school district has not yet decided. 12Zimmerman spoke at a recent meeting of county commissioners. He said that if masks are not required "95 percent of kids won't be wearing them." 13He said requiring masks is not government control. "It is about doing unto others as you want them to do unto you," he said. 14But another public meeting in Broward County, Florida, had to be stopped this week. More than 20 parents opposed to masks shouted at school officials and burned masks outside. 15Vivian Hug is a Navy veteran. She said she was tired of the "fear mongering" and giving up "freedoms in the name of safety." 16Dr. Karyl Rattay is director of the Delaware Division of Public Health. She said there is no evidence masks are unsafe for children. She said the science is clear that face coverings have prevented the spread of COVID-19 in schools. 17"Masks are a key component," she said, to getting children back in school this year. 18There is also a campaign to get older children vaccinated. 19President Joe Biden has asked schools to open vaccine centers for children 12 years or older. Some states are also beginning to discuss whether to require school employees to be vaccinated or to regularly take tests for the coronavirus. 20"To me that seems very reasonable," said Dr. Joseph Kanter. He is the state health officer of the Louisiana Department of Health. 21"You maintain some choice in there. And clearly most people are going to look at that and say it makes sense for them to get vaccinated," he said. 22The vaccine from the drug company Pfizer is the only U.S. vaccine authorized for children 12 years and up. Moderna expects the Food and Drug Administration to decide soon on its vaccine for children 12 years and up. 23All vaccines in the U.S. are available through Emergency Use Authorization only. 24Moderna also said that it expects to have enough information to ask for FDA approval of its vaccine for young children by late 2021 or early 2022. Pfizer has said it expects to ask for approval in September for children ages 5 through 11. 25Kanter urges families to vaccinate all children. He said the argument that they will rarely get severely ill from COVID-19 is no longer true with the Delta variant. 26I'm Susan Shand. 27The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. 28_____________________________________________________________ 29Words in This Story 30mask - n. a covering for the face or part of the face: especially related to preventing the spread of disease 31variant -n. something that is different in some way from others of the same kind 32contagious -adj. able to be passed from one person or animal to another 33district - n. a separate area of a country, city or town established by a government for an official purpose 34fear mongering - v. spreading fear in the public about an issue on purpose 35component - n. one of the parts of a system 36authorized -adj. something that is legally approved or permitted by officials 37We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, and visit our Facebook page.