In the United States, the new semester is about to begin, but parents' opinions are fiercely disagreeing over whether to require masks to be worn at school, and the response is divided by state. It is a situation that can affect your health.
In the United States, this July, the CDC = Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that all students and teachers wear masks indoors as a school infection control measure following the spread of the mutant virus "Delta strain". In response to this, movements have begun to oblige elementary and junior high schools and high schools to wear them in western California and eastern New York, which are relatively liberal and have strong ruling and democratic parties.
Of these, all the children went to school wearing masks at the elementary school in Los Angeles, where the new semester began in the middle of last month.
On the other hand, in states where opposition and Republican parties are strong, there are strong dissenting opinions such as "wearing should be left to the individual's freedom", and in one of those states, southern Florida, the county that obliged to wear masks at school last month There were also scenes of fierce quarrels with those who agreed with the protests of parents against the decision.
The Republican Governor also opposes the mandate, issuing an administrative order stating that financial support for schools that do not follow the policy can be suspended, and other Republican governors such as Texas and Arizona also oppose the mandate. I'm showing a movement to do.
For this reason, the current situation is that there are variations in how masks are worn at schools in the United States, and public health experts have raised concerns, and differences in political positions affect children's health. It is a situation that can affect.
Some claim that wearing a mask is child abuse
Conservatives have been saying that "respect for freedom" is contrary to the founding philosophy of the United States over the mandatory masks in the United States.
Also, in a poll conducted by the Associated Press and others last month on about 1,700 people in the United States, about 80% of the ruling and Democratic Party supporters answered that they were in favor of wearing masks at school. , Opposition and Republican supporters are about 30%, which highlights the disagreement.
Many conservatives support the Republican Party in Florida, where many oppose it. Last month, in Fort Lauderdale, parents protested against the county's decision to require masks at school. rice field.
Approximately 50 people participated in the demonstration in front of the county government building and put up placards such as "Schools do not have the same rights as parents" and "Wearing masks is child abuse".
Parents who participated criticized, "President Biden said he would overcome the new Corona, but the situation has not improved even a year and a half after the pandemic began."
On the other hand, some people were in favor of making it mandatory, and there were scenes in which participants argued violently, saying, "We should think about how many people have died in the new Corona."
In Florida, Republican Governor Casey DeSantis has signed an administrative order saying that "parents, not schools, have the right to decide on the health of their children" and that schools that do not follow the policy can suspend financial support. Did.
A Florida court ruled on 27th last month that the order would not be granted, but the governor's policy of appeal is uncertain.
Expert "Needs national efforts"
George Rutherford, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco, who specializes in public health, said that in the United States, even if the CDC = Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing masks, the challenge is that the response is left to each state. It is necessary for the country as a whole to make efforts. It is unacceptable that there are large regional differences in mandatory masks and vaccinations. "
He added, "The only way to protect children under the age of 12 who are not vaccinated from infection is with a mask. The more people who oppose wearing it, the more the infection will spread and the longer the pandemic will last. I want you to do it, "he said, expressing concern over the disagreement over wearing a mask.