US COVID-19 deaths almost double in 2 weeks, as fight over ban of school mask mandate goes on

Campus disturbed

The US Department of Education sent letters on Friday to the Republican governors of Texas and Florida, as well as Florida school administrators, amid an escalating battle between the White House and state officials over school mask guidance while the Delta variant surges.

In the new letters to governors Ron DeSantis of Florida and Greg Abbott of Texas, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona stressed that their respective states' school mask policies go against "science-based strategies for preventing the spread of COVID-19" and sharply voiced the support of President Joe Biden administration for the states' educators.

"The Department recognizes that several school districts in your State have already moved to adopt such policies in line with guidance from the CDC for the reopening and operation of school facilities despite the State level prohibitions. The Department stands with these dedicated educators who are working to safely reopen schools and maintain safe in-person instruction," Cardona wrote in the letter.

In a further action in support of educators, the secretary clarified in his letter that school districts that lose state funding for enacting local safety measures can pull from federal relief dollars.

Meanwhile, Harris County, Texas, has filed a lawsuit against Governor Abbott on Thursday seeking to challenge his ban on mask mandates, the latest county to challenge the order thus far, reported The Hill.

Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee said in a statement posted on Twitter that he is seeking to challenge Executive Order GA-38, which bans schools and other local authorities from imposing mask mandates, adding that Abbott has "repeatedly misused his authority" when responding to the pandemic.

"The current wave of the Delta variant presents a real and imminent threat to our lost vulnerable populations, and local officials need to be able to respond to this crisis. The governor's executive order acknowledges this crisis, and then bans any meaningful acton to address it," Menefee said.