RELATED: CDC recommends vaccinated people wear masks indoors, where the virus is on the rise, according to reports LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Clark County School District has announced a change to its mask policy. They sent the following to parents: Previously, the CCSD plan for elementary schools required staff to wear masks indoors and on buses, but only fourth- and fifth-graders were required to wear masks. The Board of Directors voted to reintroduce the application of face masks in all schools and buildings for students, staff and visitors upon our return from winter break, as DHEC`s current COVID-19 assessment of “Medium” for Charleston County, Por favor, envíe sus preguntas sobre esta decisión por correo electrónico has facemasks@charleston.k12.sc.us. Matthews said she believes the requirement to wear a mask is safer for everyone because of the Delta variant and fears her daughter in second grade will be assigned to remove hers if her classmates don`t wear it. According to the district`s previous policy, masks were optional for this grade level. This followed an earlier lawsuit filed on September 20 in U.S. District Court by 14 plaintiffs on behalf of 18 children who wanted to waive the requirement to wear a face mask. He appointed District Superintendent Jesus Jara and the Clark County School Board as defendants. Parents were divided over face masks for children during the pandemic. Some have lobbied for a request, while others, including many of those who spoke at recent school committee meetings, oppose it.
This is not the first time that parents have sued for the obligation to wear a mask. In August, the parents of two students filed a class action lawsuit against the Clark County school district and Sisolak, claiming that children`s wearing of masks at school violated their constitutional rights. This complaint, also filed by Chattah and Gilbert, is pending. The governor`s policy is in line with the Clark County School District`s recent mask guidelines released last week. The state issued an emergency executive order the following month stating that face masks are mandatory for K-12 students in school districts, public charter schools, and private schools in counties with a population of 100,000 or more — including Clark County — in school buildings. Complaints about mandatory school masks are found in judicial systems across the country. The lawsuit accuses the school board and Jara of “unlawfully forcing and coercing” the children to wear masks. In all counties, all school staff in school buildings must wear a face covering, regardless of their vaccination status.
In addition, all K-12 students and Nevada school staff must wear a face covering on school buses, as required by the CDC order. The CDC order applies to all modes of public transit, including school buses. Regardless of the policy on masks in a school, passengers and drivers must wear a mask on school buses. Courts in some states — including Arizona, South Carolina, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Iowa — have at least temporarily rejected attempts by governors to ban local mask requirements. The district sent emails Tuesday morning and made robocalls to parents, noting that all staff and students must wear masks inside and on district buses. This is a stricter position than previous federal agency guidelines that fully vaccinated students and school employees do not need to wear masks. In July, the school district announced that students and staff must wear masks indoors in school facilities and buses unless they have a medical or developmental condition that prohibits them from doing so. In emails and phone messages to parents tuesday, the district said there would be an exception for those who have a medical or developmental condition prohibiting the use of a mask.
In an interview Tuesday, Burns claimed that masks cause psychological harm to children by not allowing them to see other people`s expressions and preventing them from breathing properly. Nationally, all students must wear a mask when boarding the school bus and all school employees must wear a mask. In addition, all Nevada counties except Esmeralda are subject to a state warrant requiring masks in crowded public spaces. Matthews, whose children are in second and fourth grades, said she hopes the district will require masks — especially after the CDC`s recommendation is released. Today, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak signed Emergency Policy 048 regarding face coverings and other mitigation strategies for the Kindergarten-to-Grade 12 County School District, Charter School, and Nevada Private School. In addition, Nevada Health Response has released accompanying guidelines for the policy that summarize the requirements and recommendations for masking and testing in K-12 school environments. The district operated for about a year as part of a comprehensive distance learning program starting in March 2020 before offering students the opportunity to return to campus in three waves this spring. Face masks were mandatory for all students and staff returning to class for the remainder of the school year. As explained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week, it is recommended that all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of their vaccination status, wear masks in school buildings to prevent transmission of the virus. “The perpetual mask requirements in Clark County for students who have no end in the near future continue to violate the constitutional rights of our students,” Chattah said by email. Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak issued an emergency executive order Tuesday requiring everyone, vaccinated or unvaccinated, to wear masks in public spaces in counties where COVID-19 transmission rates are high, including Clark County. The policy provides for a three-day grace period that gives businesses and residents until Friday to comply.
The district — the fifth largest public school system in the country with more than 300,000 students — said the change in mask requirements was the result of “currently high transmission rates of COVID-19” and in line with recommendations from local and national health authorities. The policy takes effect immediately for employees who work in schools before students return on August 9. The school district`s announcement came shortly after the CDC issued a recommendation that kindergarten staff and students should wear a mask at school until Grade 12, regardless of their vaccination status. Two lawsuits — one of which seeks a $200 million refund — are asking various courts to lift the COVID-19 mask requirement for students in the Clark County School District. The lawsuit calls into question the constitutionality and duration of the state`s emergency policies regarding student face masks, saying they violate the plaintiff`s civil rights by “ordering draconian measures and engaging in the deliberate infliction of emotional stress on schoolchildren and their parents,” according to the lawsuit. The plaintiffs in the U.S. District Court case are seeking a $200 million refund. They also demand that the court invalidate the mask policy and violate the U.S. Constitution. In a separate article, she wrote: “These CDC guidelines have no scientific basis, and the fact that we require masks regardless of vaccination status is ridiculous.
How long will our children continue to be victims of this political spectacle of dogs and ponies? Through the forced use of masks, the defendants exhibited “extreme and outrageous behavior beyond the limits tolerated in a decent society,” the prosecution said. Gov. Steve Sisolak on Wednesday signed an emergency policy establishing rules for mask wearing in Nevada schools, citing efforts to protect students and school staff from the Delta variant and other worrying variants of the coronavirus. In counties with a population of 100,000 or more, all children in kindergarten to Grade 12 of the school district, charter schools and private schools (whether or not exempt from face coverings due to age) MUST wear a face covering when in school buildings, regardless of their vaccination status, unless an exemption is granted. Exceptions to masking are described in Directive 048 and the accompanying guidelines. This applies to Clark and Washoe counties. Please send further questions about this decision by email to facemasks@charleston.k12.sc.us. Although cloth face coverings are not considered personal protective equipment (PPE), they are useful for preventing the spread of disease. Face coverings can be challenging for students (especially younger ones) in all-day open environments, such as at school.
Cloth face coverings are intended to protect other people in case the wearer is unknowingly infected but has no symptoms. Cloth face coverings are not surgical masks, respirators or other medical PPE. Cloth face coverings should be washed daily in a washing machine. The emergency policy and guidelines were developed in collaboration with the Nevada Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, and local school heads throughout the state. The federal lawsuit was filed by Brandon Burns, president of the freedom of Choice organization, who protested against government mandates related to COVID-19, and Wendy Price, who is listed as a relative in court records. Public comments may be submitted in writing by 3:00 p.m.m. by email to PUBLICCOMMENTS@charleston.k12.sc.us Read the full message from the Office of the Governor below. The plaintiffs also argue that their children should have the opportunity to pursue education “without being exposed to health risks that are not outweighed by scientifically demonstrable benefits,” according to the lawsuit. .