Austin ISD to mandate masks in defiance of Gov. Greg Abbott

[riversedge]

Source: Austin American-Statesman



María Méndez Updated 12:02 am CT August 10, 2021


Austin Superintendent Stephanie S. Elizalde announced late Monday the district will require face masks, defying Gov. Greg Abbott's orders banning ​​mask mandates amid a surge of COVID-19 hospitalizations from the highly contagious delta variant.

Gov. Greg Abbott has continued forbidding school districts from requiring face coverings, counter to recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatricians and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

At a special called board meeting Monday night, Elizalde said the district had taken all possible precautions except a mask mandate.

"If I err, I must err on the side of ensuring that we have been overly cautious," she said. "Not that we have fallen short."

The mask mandate goes into effect Wednesday, requiring all individuals to wear masks on school district campuses and property. The first day of school is Aug. 17.................



Read more: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/08/09/austin-isd-issues-mask-mandate-defiance-texas-gov-greg-abbott/5545692001/

---

Houston has also put in a mask mandate.


More:'A matter of life and death': Austin parents call on school district to require masks

[Lonestarblue]

1. Now we need private businesses to step up and require masks.

Even though Austin is at Stage 5, practically no one wears a mask anymore. I am often one of a handful of people wearing masks. Some grocery staff still wear masks, but many do not.

[ananda]

5. Agree. At both stores I visited today, people were lax.

Some wore masks and some didn't.

I always do now.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Abbott & DeSantis grabbing the reigns of Authoritarian Stupidity

They cannot, and will not, win this argument. There is no defense to the deaths of student - children - that lay ahead. They are cornered, with no compromise possible, no face-saving retreat. They are dried and fried.

[Paladin]

3. Way to fire, AISD.

Other TX school districts need to do the same, and damn soon. All the sub-humans who oppose these life-saving measures need to appear in the light of day.

[marshall]

4. The legislature needs to act on this

Texas has a strong state legislature. They can't all be on board with the governor on this.

[TexasTowelie]

7. The Legislature can't do anything about the situation.

They are in special session and the governor sets the agenda.

[PortTack]

6. I would imagine they are looking at the ruling by a federal judge in AR knowing that ab-butt

Really won’t be able to do anything

[Skittles]

8. DO IT

VALUE YOUR KIDS OVER THAT FASCIST PIECE OF SHIT