Mask Guidance Divides Parents, Officials Before New School Year

 

U.S. health officials are recommending that children wear masks this autumn when they return to school.

Parents and policy makers¹ however are debating whether face coverings should be required.

The delta² variant³ of the coronavirus now threatens to effect normal behavior for the third school year. Some states have decided⁴ they will listen to the federal government's guidance and require masks. Others will leave the decision up to parents.

The situation takes place at a time when many Americans want pandemic restrictions⁵ to end. Others fear their children will be put at risk by those who do not follow the restrictions.

In a few states, lawmakers passed laws barring schools from requiring masks.

In Connecticut, protests against mask requirements have happened outside Governor Ned Lamont's home in Hartford. Street signs call on him to "unmask our kids." The governor has said that he is likely to follow the latest advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Last week, the CDC recommended indoor masks for all teachers, employees, students and visitors at schools nationwide. It said people should wear masks whether or not they have been vaccinated⁷. The agency said this was to stop the spread of the highly contagious⁸ delta variant. The CDC has said even vaccinated people are getting infected.

Alima Bryant is the mother of four children. She organizes parents in opposition⁹ to mask requirements in Branford, Connecticut. She said she believes scientists have overstated the dangers of COVID-19, especially for children. She said she will take her children out of school rather than force them to wear masks, which she believes are dangerous.

"I can imagine how often they're touching¹⁰ dirty things, then touching the mask," she said.

Other parents such as Ryan Zimmerman, of Lenexa, Kansas, fear the refusal to wear a mask will just keep the pandemic around longer.

In Johnson County, Kansas, five school districts recommend, but do not require, masks. A sixth school district has not yet decided.

Zimmerman spoke¹¹ at a recent meeting of county commissioners¹². He said that if masks are not required "95 percent of kids won't be wearing them."

He said requiring masks is not government control. "It is about doing unto others as you want them to do unto you," he said.

But another public meeting in Broward County, Florida, had to be stopped this week. More than 20 parents opposed to masks shouted at school officials and burned masks outside.

Vivian Hug is a Navy veteran. She said she was tired of the "fear mongering" and giving up "freedoms in the name of safety."

Dr. Karyl Rattay is director of the Delaware Division of Public Health. She said there is no evidence masks are unsafe for children. She said the science is clear that face coverings have prevented the spread of COVID-19 in schools.

"Masks are a key component¹³," she said, to getting children back in school this year.

There is also a campaign to get older children vaccinated.

President Joe Biden has asked schools to open vaccine¹⁴ centers for children 12 years or older. Some states are also beginning to discuss whether to require school employees to be vaccinated or to regularly take tests for the coronavirus.

"To me that seems very reasonable," said Dr. Joseph Kanter. He is the state health officer of the Louisiana Department of Health.

"You maintain some choice in there. And clearly most people are going to look at that and say it makes sense for them to get vaccinated," he said.

The vaccine from the drug company Pfizer is the only U.S. vaccine authorized¹⁵ for children 12 years and up. Moderna expects the Food and Drug Administration to decide soon on its vaccine for children 12 years and up.

All vaccines¹⁶ in the U.S. are available through Emergency Use Authorization¹⁷ only.

Moderna also said that it expects to have enough information to ask for FDA approval of its vaccine for young children by late 2021 or early 2022. Pfizer has said it expects to ask for approval in September for children ages 5 through 11.

Kanter urges families to vaccinate⁶ all children. He said the argument that they will rarely get severely¹⁸ ill from COVID-19 is no longer true with the Delta variant.

Words in This Story

mask – n. a covering for the face or part of the face: especially related to preventing the spread of disease

variant –n. something that is different in some way from others of the same kind

contagious –adj. able to be passed from one person or animal to another

district - n. a separate area of a country, city or town established by a government for an official purpose

fear mongering – v. spreading fear in the public about an issue on purpose

component – n. one of the parts of a system

authorized –adj. something that is legally approved or permitted by officials

1 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

3 variant   

adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体

参考例句：

• We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段，提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
• In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种，是数据驱动的测试。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

6 vaccinate   

vt.给…接种疫苗；种牛痘

参考例句：

• Local health officials then can plan the best times to vaccinate people.这样，当地的卫生官员就可以安排最佳时间给人们接种疫苗。
• Doctors vaccinate us so that we do not catch smallpox.医生给我们打预防针使我们不会得天花。

7 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

8 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。

9 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

10 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

11 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

12 commissioners   

n.专员( commissioner的名词复数 )；长官；委员；政府部门的长官

参考例句：

• The Commissioners of Inland Revenue control British national taxes. 国家税收委员管理英国全国的税收。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The SEC has five commissioners who are appointed by the president. 证券交易委员会有５名委员，是由总统任命的。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

13 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

14 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

15 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

16 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

17 authorization   

n.授权，委任状

参考例句：

• Anglers are required to obtain prior authorization from the park keeper.垂钓者必须事先得到公园管理者的许可。
• You cannot take a day off without authorization.未经批准你不得休假。

18 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。