Will masks return to schools & stores?

UPDATE – July 30, 2021: Publix released a statement saying they are requiring all employees, regardless of vaccination status, to wear masks inside stores.

They are encouraging, but not requiring, customers to wear masks.

Walmart said it will require all its workers — including vaccinated ones — to wear masks in areas with high infection rates of COVID-19. It’s encouraging its customers to wear masks in stores in areas with high infection rates, and will be adding back signs at entrances announcing its latest policies, according to a memo supplied by Walmart that was sent to its employees Friday.

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With herd immunity way off, the aggressive delta variant has people pumping the brakes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday changed its guidance to say everyone, vaccinated or not, should wear masks indoors in public spaces where COVID-19 is surging. That includes everyone in K-12 schools, but for now, our local districts are keeping masks optional.

Parents we spoke to have differing opinions. Some think masks should be mandated in schools because of the guidance and the variant surge. Others believe the CDC guidance changes often, so choices on masking should be left up to the parents.

In just a couple of weeks, students will fill Lee County schools. Some of them will be masked, some will not.

“In this case, my daughter should be wearing a mask all the time in school,” said parent Luis Hernandez.

“I will give him the option, but I’m 100% sure he will not wear the mask,” said parent Angela Salander.

The CDC said everyone in schools, even if they’re vaccinated, should mask up indoors. It’s guidance Hernandez thinks everyone should take seriously.

“I believe the schools, they should be considering it,” he said.

Salander kept her son home from school last year because he didn’t want to wear a mask. She said the CDC’s guidance doesn’t change her mind that masks should be ditched in schools.

“The CDC, every time you turn around, they change something,” she said.

“They can’t see people’s faces or smiling; it’s hard to understand teachers sometimes with masks on and they’re losing a lot.”

With masks optional in local school districts, we posted on Facebook to ask parents if it’ll change how their children will attend school. Some said they’ll keep their kids home because of the mask policy.

Lee County School Board Chair Debbie Jordan said she understands parents’ concerns, but the district looks to state leaders for direction.

“We do want to listen to all the parents but there are times where we really don’t have a choice on what we have to do, that we are mandated to do.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis has repeatedly said school mask mandates will not happen in Florida, even saying he would call a special legislative session if the federal government required masks in schools.

“There’s been talk about potentially people advocating at the federal level, imposing compulsory masks on kids,” DeSantis said July 22. “We’re not doing that in Florida, OK? We need our kids to breathe.”

What about stores?

New numbers released Wednesday by Lee Health show that COVID-19 cases are spreading fast in Lee County, and a number of people are taking note. Just look around when you’re out and you’ll see more people are masking up once again.