At least seven states, including Florida and Texas, have legally prohibited schools from imposing mask mandates.
Dr. Jerome Adams, the U.S. Surgeon General under former President Trump, on Tuesday joined the growing chorus of public health officials criticizing Republican-led states that have enacted bans prohibiting school districts from imposing their own mask mandates, even as some—including Florida and Texas—battle surges in Covid-19 hospitalizations including among children. Republican governors like Florida’s Ron DeSantis and Texas’ Greg Abbott have characterized their mandate bans as a way of protecting personal freedoms. “Governor Abbott has been clear that we must rely on personal responsibility, not government mandates,” an Abbott spokesperson said Monday. “Every Texan has a right to choose for themselves and their children whether they will wear masks, open their businesses, or get vaccinated.
