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Florida Health Departments Forbidden From Telling Schools Not to Reopen Despite Coronavirus Surge: Report

One county health director said public health officials “have to follow the orders that we have.”

County public health directors in Florida were barred from recommending schools should not reopen even as coronavirus cases in the state climbed to record highs, The Palm Beach Post reports. The health officials were instructed by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration to only provide information, not concrete advice, on reopenings, frustrating school boards that were told they would need Health Department’s approval in order to close schools. Brevard County health director Maria Stahl said public health officials “have to follow the orders that we have.” She continued: “What I can say is, [Republican governor Ron DeSantis] has ordered for the schools to be open. The education commissioner has ordered schools to be open. So all I can do is give them statistics.”

DeSantis and his appointees have ordered schools open for on-site instruction five days per week. Patricia Boswell, health director for Volusia County, said at a school board meeting, “We’ve been advised that our role here is to just advise as to what can we do to make the environment in schools as safe as possible with COVID-19. It is not to make a decision on whether or not to open the school.”