Volusia Health Dept. recommends continued use of masks in schools

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — The debate over whether masks should be required in Volusia County schools continued at a board meeting Tuesday.

Both parents and students stood up at the meeting to speak against the policy, calling for mask use to be optional rather than mandated.

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“The masks are silly,” one parent said. “Let us parents have our choices back for our kids.”

In a workshop before the meeting, a representative from the county department of health  provided the board with an update on the spread of COVID-19 there.

Health department administrator Patricia Boswell relayed the latest COVID-19 data for school-aged children in the county, noting that most kids get COVID in the community rather than school.

A teacher who spoke at the meeting argued that’s evidence that the masks are working.

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“I’ve been exposed and quarantined twice and haven’t contracted COVID...I believe the consistent use of masks were a major factor.”

According to the Department of Health for Volusia County, about 13 percent of Volusia County residents have completed their vaccination shots.

The Centers for Disease Control says fully vaccinated people can gather with others indoors without masks

When asked directly whether the school district should continue the use of masks, Boswell answered, simply, “Yes.”

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The board says they’ll continue to monitor cases both in schools and in the community.

If the policy were to change, board members say it could take effect before the end of the year, but it’s more likely to happen at the beginning of the next year.

Cox Media Group