Omicron Fear As Numbers Rise In Palm Beach County, School District.
BY: ANDREW COLTON | Editor and Publisher
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2021 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Not allowed to require masks due to legal action by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the Palm Beach County School District this afternoon took the extreme measure of transmitting a message to more than 200,000 students, teachers, and parents strongly encouraging mask use.
The message comes as COVID-19 numbers are quickly rising in the school district, and holiday travel will almost assuredly result in a significant surge over the next several weeks. We reported on the trends earlier Monday.
This is the message being sent districtwide as of 5:30 p.m. Monday:
“The emergence of the Omicron variant underscores the importance of preventive efforts to protect our students and staff against COVID-19. According to public health officials, the best way to prevent the spread of this new variant or any other variant is to get vaccinated, get a booster if you are eligible, and take precautions such as wearing a facial covering while indoors.
Facial coverings are optional, but strongly encouraged, for District students, employees, and visitors while indoors. Although many are experiencing pandemic fatigue, this is not the time to let down your guard.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among District students and staff is increasing again after leveling off for a few weeks. Cases are updated daily on the District’s COVID-19 Dashboard. Cases are also increasing statewide, as indicated on the Florida Department of Health Website.
While the District will continue to remain vigilant with all of the COVID-19 transmission mitigation strategies that we have had in place throughout the pandemic, we respectfully ask you to continue to also remain vigilant and exercise your best judgment to help keep students and staff safe. Effective measures include frequent hand washing, covering coughs and sneezes, the wearing of facial coverings, and other measures intended to keep our schools healthy.
We also remind you of the importance of keeping your children home from school if they are not feeling well. You’ll find additional information and resources on the District’s Coronavirus webpage.”
