PETRI DISH

Orange County Leaders Vote to Send Kids Back to School Without Masks or Distancing in California Hot Spot

Board rejects local health and education officials’ advice in California hot spot, but did recommend temperature checks, frequent hand washing, and nightly cleaning.

Orange County, California’s leaders have voted in favor of plans to send their kids back to school in the fall without mandatory mask-wearing for students or increased social distancing despite the area’s surge in coronavirus cases, the Los Angeles Times reports. The Board of Education voted Monday night to approve its panel’s recommendations for school reopening. The measures included temperature checks, frequent hand washing, and nightly cleaning—but didn’t say students should wear face coverings or keep their distance from classmates. Board Vice President Mari Barke said: “These are simply guidelines to be looked at and to follow according to what’s best for your family—take it for what it is and do what you’re most comfortable with.” The board said the measures it had laid out are only guidelines and reopening plans will be left up to individual school districts. But the document placed pressure on districts to reopen, saying that remote learning during the pandemic has been an “utter failure.” On Monday, the Los Angeles and San Diego districts announced they would keep a virtual model for schools next month because of the new wave of COVID-19 cases.