The City of Sarasota removed its mask mandate in February. "If they feel that wearing a mask is what's best for them, then please wear a mask.". If people want to wear a mask then they can. With Floridas COVID-19 restrictions now out the door, some public health experts are concerned about potential fallout from easing up too soon before enough people are vaccinated. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. TAMPA, Fla. (CW44 News At 10) - The Hillsborough County school board voted to approve a more strict mask mandate for the district on Wednesday. Tuesday 9 March 2010. 4 things you can do for your health, The State of Black Tampa Bay: An Exclusive Town Hall, Ybor speakeasy honors Madame Fortune Taylor, Ex got a warrant? TAMPA Hillsborough Countys face mask rule wont be expanded to apply to outdoor service of bars and restaurants, county commissioners decided Thursday. The rule goes into effect Thursday. Wednesdays vote has no impact on the countys mask mandates or social distancing regulations; commissioners were clear that the governor said those are no longer allowed. Dr. Holt says 45.5% of the people in the county have been vaccinated, but the 16-39 age group has the lowest vaccination rate, at just 30%. Northern Ireland Assembly. But to be safe, officials said they wanted to continue requiring masks for a couple more weeks. LINK: To read the county's full directive, click here. School mask mandates have become a hot topic among Floridians . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. DeGeorge helped form the 700-member Safe & Sound initiative to encourage local businesses to comply with federal COVID-19 safety recommendations. When choosing to wear a mask, ensure your mask provides the best fit and filtration (respirators like N95, KN95 and KN94 are best). Unnasch says likely June to July if we keep our guards up and the vaccination schedule stays on pace. The commission expanded the rule last month to match the requirement in Pinellas County, mandating restaurant patrons be seated in order to remove their masks to eat or drink. Public officials in Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough also agreed to keep masking mandatory in all indoor spaces. But a commission majority joined White and wouldnt concur with Overman. Its just a little bit unfair when theyve been working with us as a partner, said Myers. The mandate now expires on Oct. 15. That means, for the first time in more than a year, Hillsborough County is without a mask mandate. Wax says he doesnt have any immediate plans to change that. I think thats horrible because individual businesses, from what I have seen those businesses, like a nail salon are not going to tell people to put their mask on because they want their business. TAMPA, Fla. - Hillsborough County is once again requiring masks inside all county buildings due to the rise of COVID-19 cases. County officials will continue to work with the Florida Department of Health and other medical experts to monitor COVID-19 transmission levels in the county and will update indoor protocols accordingly for both staff and visitors to county facilities. "Throughout this pandemic, we've implemented many changes in our stores to safeguard the health and well-being of the communities we serve. OXON HILL, Md.Heather Wilson, co-founder of the crowdfunding platform GiveSendGo, told The Daily Signal that the Anti-Defamation League, a prominent Jewish legal advocacy group, smeared her organization. USF College of Public Health Dr. Thomas Unnasch is one of the 17 doctors to give his input. The number of vaccinated people in Hillsborough County is still below 50%. She said that "respecting and valuing the choices of others, and understanding the choices of others" would be important in the next couple of weeks. . UNC Health and WakeMed are reporting similar decreases between this month and last month; COVID-related hospitalizations decreased by 65% and 61% respectively. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. "Vaccinations remain the most effective tool against infections from COVID-19, and we encourage all students, staff and families to become fully vaccinated," the email read. Limited time only! The school system has required masks for students,. The mandate now expires on Oct. 15. to pack in maskless folks, Overman said Thursday. While the PreK-12 Appropriations subcommittee considering the proposal didn't address it at its meeting Tuesday, school district leaders say they are monitoring the situation closely. Mahaffey recognized that some parents may choose to keep their children masked up in school. County facilities include libraries, recreation centers and the Frederick B. Karl County Center, officials said. Raleigh, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Knightdale, Rolesville and Zebulon will also be removing their mask mandates on Friday, according to county officials. "The measure is being taken as a precaution for the health and safety of County employees as well as residents," officials said in a statement. The county adopted its face mask mandate last summer in an attempt to control the spread of the coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 respiratory illness. PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. Leaders in Texas and Mississippi are the latest in the nation to announce theyre lifting statewide mask mandates, against CDC recommendations. The Utah House voted 45-29 Friday morning to end the locally-imposed COVID-19 mask mandates in Salt Lake and Summit counties. Of 123 written comments submitted online, 23 supported continuing the mask mandate until children ages 5-11 can be vaccinated, 37 supported continuing the mandate, more than 30 wanted to end the mandate and around 20 wanted masks to be optional. Hospitals across the Triangle are reporting a decrease in the number of patients with COVID-19, according to data obtained by WRAL News. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. Hillsborough County Public Schools says it has no plans to change the school district's current mask mandate, despite a letter from the commissioner of education threatening to withhold the salaries of school board members if it remains. A spokesperson for the school district says its decision to implement a mask mandate relied on the advice of doctors and public health experts, and in no way violated state law. One thing thats not sick of all of these precautions is the virus. We have answers, Florida. Read the latest on guidelines, tips for comfort and long-term wear, Sign up to receive the most up-to-date information. A TRIBUTE TO THE FLORIDIANS TAKEN BY THE CORONAVIRUS: They were parents and retirees, police officer and doctors, imperfect but loved deeply. DeSantis is now preventing local governments from requiring face coverings. While that's still higher than the state's target goal of 5%, that's much lower than what was reported in the days after the winter holidays.. Sarah Salvador shopped in Ybor on Wednesday and she says is not pleased Gov. This comes as the district is reporting that. Collier commissioners' next scheduled meeting is April 13, the day the county's face-covering requirement is set to expire. The revised rule will also affect in-person public comments at the Board of County Commissioners meetings, beginning Jan. 12. Several districts have already voted to make masks optional, including Chatham, Cumberland, Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Moore, Person, Sampson and Wayne. The local leaders acted quickly in response to Gov. Orange County officials announced on Friday that they would be keeping a mask mandate in place until further notice. Have coronavirus vaccine questions? Hillsborough County Hillsborough County allows face mask rules to end, in compliance with DeSantis' order Students and staff at area schools will continue wearing masks through the. Several cities and large counties, including Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Hillsborough (which includes Tampa), had mask requirements, but Gov. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Last week, California dropped its indoor mask mandate for unvaccinated people. Private businesses, of course, can still require masks upon entry and enforce social distancing and other protective measures. Florida education commissioner directed to determine fate of 2 school districts for defying Gov. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. The broader ordinance also prohibited eating or standing at bars and congregating on dance floors. The school district requires students, teachers and staff to mask up, with an opt-out available to students for medical reasons as long as they submit a doctor's note. TAMPA, Fla. (CW44 News At 10) - We are hearing from parents after the Hillsborough County School Board decided to change the district's mask policy on Tuesday. Hillsborough again seeks to redevelop MOSI property, Highs and lows across Tampa Bay and Florida | Editorial, Fearful for Florida? The Hillsborough County School Board Wednesday voted to institute a 30-day mandatory mask policy. Five other school districts, including Wake County, will meet this week to vote on school mask policies. Asa Hutchinson signed a law banning local mask mandates on Friday, though the law won't take effect until early July, and Tennessee Gov. Dr. Mark Ghaly, California's Health and Human Services Secretary, announced more details on what California's mask mandate looks like after the June 15 reopening. "Our high vaccination rate puts our district on solid footing once face coverings become optional. $18) with no contract. At this time, no changes are being made to our mask policy.". Hillsborough County Commissioner Kimberly Overman says people should still be cautious. Gov. Well deliver the latest news and information you need to know every weekday morning. Wake County's order went into effect Aug. 20, applying to. Chief Medical . Publix released a statement Tuesday, May 4 saying there will be no changes made to its mask policy. Mask Mandate: All Virginians aged five and over should wear a mask over their nose and mouth in accordance with CDC guidance and Executive Order 79. VACCINES Q & A: Have coronavirus vaccine questions? The state will continue to require mask use in indoor K-12 settings until the end of March 11. RELATED:Publix, public schools to continue mask requirements in Florida, for now. Had it been allowed to stand, the temporary Salt Lake County mask mandate would have ended at 5 p.m. on Feb. 7. Share. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL Go ahead and trash those noisome face masks at least for now. Dr. Holt says 45.5% of the people in the county have been vaccinated, but the 16-39 age group has the lowest vaccination rate, at just 30%. The Health Department no longer expects the county to hit that number until the middle of June and it wont hit 70% until at least mid-August. County leaders recognized that "key metrics in Orange County are dropping, including the number of cases and percent positivity for test results." Executive Committee Business: Debt Relief Bill: First Stage Housing (Amendment) Bill: Final Stage "The health and safety of our students, families, teachers, and staff is very important to the Board; the medical experts advised the Board that vaccines and facial coverings were the two most effective tools to control the spread of COVID-19 in schools. Northern Ireland assembly. All for just $15 (U.P. Among hospitals within the Duke Health system, hospitalizations among people who tested positive with COVID-19 has decreased by 50% this month. We must close any loopholes that are allowing bars and nightclubs to have super spreader events, he told commissioners. Hillsborough County School leaders have extended the district's current mask mandate for another 30 days. In a letter to the superintendent of Hillsborough County Public Schools, Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran stated the school district must respond to him regarding how it is complying with an executive order signed by Gov. Tue, Feb 21, 2023 LOGIN Subscribe for $1 Last week, Orange County government reinstituted a mask mandate for visitors and staff inside county buildings, citing the Delta variant. The county adopted its face mask mandate last summer in an attempt to control the spread of the coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 respiratory illness. Expert Answers: UPDATE | Sept. 9: The Hillsborough County School Board passed a motion Thursday to extend its mask mandate for another 30 days. A tougher rule, she said, will not shut businesses down. Those fully vaccinated are . The rule applied to employees and customers unable to abide by social distancing guidelines inside businesses, but included an exemption if people were eating or drinking. We collected your stories, pictures, songs, recipes, journals and more to show what life has been like during the pandemic. But it is important to recognize that second surge is a risk if we let our guards down.". Florida DOE threatens school board salaries, but is that legal? I miss seeing my clients faces, she explained. Wake County Public Schools will drop its mask policy on Monday, March 7, although masks will still be recommended in indoor spaces. Example video title will go here for this video. Its not a gamble that I think anyone should be taking in this country at this point in time and certainly not Florida, Unnasch elaborated. He also said he noticed at the beach Monday people were wearing masks and social distancing, which is a good sign as spring breakers congregate in South Florida. Tampas University Mall reopens as coronavirus vaccination site, state announces. As more Floridians get their COVID-19 vaccine and restrictions ease in some places, ABC Action News is bringing you the latest on local mask mandates. Assembly Business: New Assembly Member: Mr Paul Frew During the same time period last year, nearly 1,000 people had died with the virus. That mandate went into effect Aug. 5 and will. The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. Hillsborough County rescinded its mask mandate on May 5, but private businesses and organizations in Hillsborough may still require face coverings. Starting Monday, Feb. 28, the updated administrative directive encourages the wearing of face coverings at county facilities, but it will no longer be a requirement.