Threats of harming another Be Nice. We also continue working on plans for a test-and-stay program after we return from Fall Break. States with mask mandates Four US states and four territories currently require masks in indoor settings like restaurants, bars and gyms: Illinois Hawaii Oregon Washington District of Columbia The data showed that new cases per 100,000 residents nearly doubled from 33 to 60 from the end of June to the beginning of July. Her family plans to look for a private or charter school that doesn't require masks. SCOTTSDALE, AZ Scottsdale Unified School District joined others in the state in continuing with its mask mandate, in spite of Gov. But you deserve to know whats really going on in your community. High 61F. That data which does not measure vaccinations within school district boundaries shows 62.3 percent of eligible Scottsdale residents and 57.3 percent of the citys total population are fully vaccinated. There will be no mask mandates, said Ducey. As they have been throughout the country, the districts mask mandate was a polarizing subject in the community. Scottsdale Unified required masks right up to the end of the school year. He said his team recently identified a new variant with mutations that have shown to reduce antibody response in lab tests, though researchers still dont know how those lab tests translate into real-world scenarios. ucey vowed to withhold $162 million in pandemic relief money for school districts that took advantage of Warners ruling and imposed mask mandates at least until today. That was good for 29th place among states and the District of Columbia. The recent legislation simply makes that a requirement for all districts, Menzel told the Progress. Mask Up Arizona is a successful campaign and remains the best advice keep your distance from others, and mask up when you cannot.. Behavior in public affects everyonewhen you wear a mask, if the other people are not wearing masks, youre certainly at higher risk of getting infected than if both parties are wearing masks, he said. accounts, the history behind an article. When considering only those age 18 and older, that number in Arizona rose to 62.2 percent, according to an analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Doug Ducey's executive order ending enforcement of the measure. We will not be listening to the lockdown lobby. He said allowing people to ignore such an order sends a bad message. Rain. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, Until we have suppressed community spread by vaccinating more individuals, including children under 12, universal masking will continue to be a critical tool in limiting the spread of the virus in our schools.. I think in the end, were going to have another event in the next 50 to 100 years, or even sooner depending on these variants, and if the answer is that the state government is going to just do nothing about it, and local government officials cant do anything about it like school districts, I think itll just make the situation much worse, Greenburg said. By Paul Maryniak and Wayne Schutsky, Progress News Staff, The ban deprives districts of a tool many relied on to help reduce, The issue came to a head at an SUSD school board meeting on May 18 when a group of unruly attendees including some Scottsdale parents as well as outside groups like the conservative Patriot Party of Arizona and Purple for Parents , Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, Maricopa County Department Of Public Health. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. But others have questioned the true impact the mask mandates had. On Friday, Mesa Public Schools announced a phased approach to ending the district's mandatory mask policy. ], https://twitter.com/MichelleUgenti/status/1418748330964779012. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Periods of rain early. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Why is @ScottsdaleUSD insistent on pushing the socialist agenda of the @JoeBiden administration wrote Ugenti-Rita. You have permission to edit this article. They know its harmful they being (state health) director Cara Christ and Governor Ducey. For more than a month, there has been an ongoing debate between Ducey on one hand and some school districts, including Tempe Union and Kyrene, on the other over whether that ban has been in effect since he signed it into law in June. By Corinne Murdock | Last Wednesday, the town of Gilbert apologized for creating a document ranking residents based on By Terri Jo Neff | At a time when one-fourth of all educator positions are vacant statewide, one Arizona school board By Corinne Murdock | Arizona State University (ASU) began paying for childrens gender transitions at the start of the ABOUT | NEWS |OPINION | ECONOMY | EDUCATION | CONTACT |CODE OF ETHICS | PRIVACY POLICY, A project of the Arizona Freedom Foundation | All Rights Reserved 2023, Scottsdale Unified School District Defies Arizonas Mask Mandate Ban, Gilbert Leaders Apologize For Enemy List Ranking Residents, WESD Accepts LGTBQ Community While Devaluing Christians, ASU Also Paying For Childrens Gender Transitions. "Both state that school districts should continue to implement mitigation strategies as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). See my statement on the updated CDC guidance: https://t.co/YubNffZpq5 Doug Ducey (@dougducey) July 27, 2021 Maricopa County supervisors adopted a similar mandate countywide the next day. Health & Safety Protocols in Scottsdale, AZ | Official Travel Site It is irresponsible ofthe stategovernmenttostand in the way of local leaders making decisions that protect the health and safety of their students and staff. Karamargin called the ruling "clearly an example of judicial overreach'' and promised an appeal. Be Truthful. "Together these requirements promote transparency and the public's access to information about legislative action,'' she wrote. The largest spike was in 85259, which had 82 new cases per 100,000 from March 21 to March 27, up from 43 the week prior. State Senator Michelle Ugenti-Rita (R-Scottsdale) responded to parents concerned over SUSDs decision to break state law with a mask mandate. The original order was set to expire on July 20 before Lane extended it through Aug. 20. I plan on dropping a termination date, at this time, and continuing with the periodic review of the mandated mask requirement with the County and the State, Lane said in a statement. Here's a running list of the school districts in the state of Arizona that still require masks inside schools: This is a developing story. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. The measure prohibits a county, city, town, school district governing board or charter school governing body from requiring students or staff use face coverings during school hours and on school property.. Its worth remembering that a quarter of the people who died in Arizona were not 65-plus and over; in fact, they were middle-aged and younger, he said. Governor Doug Ducey rescinded local mask mandates in March, but masks will still be required in schools and City of Scottsdale buildings and facilities, including the citys libraries. The case before Cooper involved a challenge filed by a coalition of educators, school board members, child welfare advocates to the way the ban on mandates was passed by the Legislature. Kids cant manage to keep a mask clean, she said. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. Students started off last school year virtually. that is degrading to another person. All Inclusive! PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. racist or sexually-oriented language. Solem believes that the district already has plenty of good mitigation strategies in place, without a mask requirement. At the end of a lengthy school board meeting, preceded by a parent protest, board members voted 4-1 in favor of implementing a mask requirement. Don't knowingly lie about anyone School board member Libby Hart-Wells, who called for the special Tuesday night meeting to vote on a mask requirement, said she believes the entire Scottsdale Unified community wants the same thing: for kids to continue attending school in person. "It makes people confused and it's coming at the worst possible time. To date, these mitigation strategies have allowed us to welcome back 85% of our students for in-person learning.". "Unfortunately, today's decision is the result of a rogue judge interfering with the authority and processes of another branch of government.''. And that, she said, means it violates a constitutional requirement that the title of a bill must reflect what's in it. T he coronavirus pandemic remained front and center when Scottsdales new council members were sworn into office on Jan. 12. We look forward to welcoming you whenever youre ready to travel! You have permission to edit this article. Ducey press aide C.J. The mask mandate ban was sponsored by Kingman Republican Rep. and dentist Regina Cobb, who represents the district that includes Lake Havasu. person will not be tolerated. American Diabetes Association Alert Day Are You At Risk? Masks are not mandated in Arizona, but hotels, restaurants, retails store and attractions may encourage or require them. You have permission to edit this article. Students will be able to attend school. Humble said surveys of young adults conducted by students he is working with suggest placing vaccination sites at popular spots could increase vaccination rates, because many respondents were worried about convenience, not the vaccine itself. Don't Threaten. WebStay up to date with boosters, as eligible. Don't knowingly lie about anyone Hoffman within hours released a statement that said: New data from Arizona schools shows what public health experts have been telling our Governorfor months: universal masking keeps students learning inperson. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. ", "We all know masking has been very effective in bringing down the number of hospitalizations.". Be Proactive. "The issue here is notwhatthe legislature decided buthowit decided what it did,'' she wrote. "Today, Governor Doug Ducey and the Arizona Department of Health Services have taken action to rescind orders requiring school districts to implement face covering policies," SUSD's letter says. Don't knowingly lie about anyone I have had friends die of COVID, Osborne said. Scottsdale lawmaker: Masks werent needed for AIDS, By Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services. They wanted to flex their muscles and so they made sure that that was put into the budget reconciliation bill and now districts and parents are going to have to live with it.. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. Get tested if youre feeling sick or have been exposed to the virus at free sites throughout the Scottsdale area. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends face coverings based on personal preference and personal level of risk. Sign up for free today. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. racist or sexually-oriented language. It is spread through exchange of bodily fluids, normally sexual transmission or sores from open wounds and also can be spread through sharing infected needles. As of Wednesday, more than 2,000 Scottsdale Unified students were stuck at home because they tested positive for the virus or were a close contact of someone who tested positive. But our health officials again this year took no action, so I think its a bad policy.. Don't Threaten. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. While we have seen encouraging progress, and more and more people have received the vaccine, COVID remains a concern. From campus-style resorts to a lush Sonoran Desert landscape thats ripe for exploration, Scottsdale is the ideal choice if youre looking for a getaway that allows you room to roam. Chance of rain 100%.. Cloudy. LaBaer said that means there is still a need to practice mitigation, including mask wearing and avoiding crowds. Scottsdale made the decision with the decline of infection and hospitalization rates in the county. Scottsdale offers you advantages that few other destinations can match fresh air, sunny skies and the luxury of space. Maintain at least 6 feet of space between yourself and others when visiting local businesses. Earlier this month, the Arizona legislature banned mask mandates within its K-12 budget. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Students who choose to ride the bus, along with SUSD bus drivers, will be required to wear masks while on the bus. She said her employees wear masks. There are places where owners wanted to do the right thing, and used the governments requirement as the heavy; now, they cant use that, so they have to decide Im going to fight my customers, so Ill just give up, he said. The district's letter came hours after Ducey tweeted out his executive order, which he said was due to the steps that teachers, families and students have taken to act responsibly to stop the spread of the virus. "Our tracking of COVID-19 cases on our campuses since the new school year began shows that the mask requirement that went into effect August 20 has been a successful part of our layered mitigation strategies to reduce virus transmission at our schools, keep students learning in person. However, Superintendent Dr. Scott Menzel sent a letter to parents on May 14 notifying However, unvaccinated people will still be required to wear masks indoors, the governor wrote. Keep it Clean. Humble said the mandates helped businesses that wanted to enforce mask use avoid uncomfortable confrontations with customers. Her older two children wore masks while attending district schools last year, and they don't want to go back, she said. Use the 'Report' link on Chaplik argued that the mandates are an overreaction and that society has managed to survive other viral outbreaks without masks. Dr. Efrim Lim, a virologist at ASU, said several variants have emerged in Arizona. California's indoor mask mandate is set to expire Feb. 15, Gov. Travel Requirements or anything. Though Greenburg has long said districts are not the best bodies to craft those mask policies, he was still critical of last month's move by the legislature and governor. Ducey didnt respond to news of SUSDs mask mandate. The Scottsdale Unified School Board voted 4-1 to implement a mask mandate for its 28 school campuses and district facilities after a more than three-hour Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, had a slightly different take. He said that decision left districts in a no-win situation where it had to deal with angry parents who were fighting us every step of the way on this on both sides people who wanted masks all the time, people who wanted social distancing all the time, people who wanted the schools to remain closed, and then people on the other side who just didnt want any of that.. Thats why Experience Scottsdale is committed to providing you with accurate information about the health and safety measures in place within our community. Be Proactive. accounts, the history behind an article. 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