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September 13, 2021

Appeals Court Sides with Florida Gov. DeSantis, Reinstates Ban on Mask Mandates
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A Florida appeals court has sided with Republican Governor Ron De
Santis, upholding his ban on school mask mandates while challenges are
played out in lower courts. The ruling reverses a previous decision that
had halted the ban. On Friday, the Education Department said it is
looking into whether the Florida mask mandate ban was violating the
rights of students with disabilities who are more vulnerable to severe
infection from COVID-19. Similar investigations are underway in other
states.

Meanwhile, in Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton said Friday he's suing
at least six school districts that defied Governor Greg Abbott's order
banning mask mandates at public schools.

Here in New York City, around 1 million students are returning to school
for in-person classes today for the first time in 18 months.

As Pfizer-Bio NTech is expected to seek approval soon for their COVID-19
vaccine for children 5 and older, new research by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention shows unvaccinated people are 11 times
more likely to die from COVID-19 than vaccinated people and more than 10
times more likely to be hospitalized.


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