PALM BEACH, FL – via ABC News – At least 440 students have been quarantined in the Palm Beach County School District after just the second day of in-person class, ABC News reported today. It is the first time the district held in-person classes since last March.
According to ABC News, the district requires face coverings inside schools and on busses, but parents could choose to opt-out. Even with face coverings, COVID-19 spread through the district.
The district told ABC News 6,379 students out of its estimated 167,000 pupils, or about 3.8%, have opted out of wearing masks as of Thursday.
ABC News
“The governor’s got to take responsibility for establishing the ground rules we’re operating under,” District Superintendent Michael J. Burke said on MSNBC Thursday. “And this ability for families to opt out is leading to more cases, which is ultimately going to send more kids home and deprive them of that traditional classroom experience.”