The governor of Delaware is letting the state’s indoor mask mandate expire, rejecting the Biden administration’s recommendation that schoo...
The governor of Delaware is letting the state’s indoor mask mandate expire, rejecting the Biden administration’s recommendation that schools continue to require universal masking.
Democratic Gov. John Carney, executive of President Joe Biden’s home state, modified Delaware’s coronavirus state of emergency order on Monday.
A mask mandate for indoor settings will expire on Feb. 11, and mask mandates for public schools will end on Mar. 31.
“We’re in a much better place than we were several weeks ago in the middle of the Omicron surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations,” explained Carney, according to U.S. News.
Carney is keeping the school mandate in place longer to give school districts the chance to make their own policies.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed that the president still supports school mask mandates in a Tuesday briefing.
Several blue and purple states have moved to roll back mask mandates since the start of February. The Virginia Senate approved an amendment to a law that would recognize parents’ rights to send their children to school without a mask on Tuesday.
Virginia GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin hailed the wave of states moving to repeal mandates in a statement.
“In the last week, we have seen Democrat-led states like Oregon, Connecticut, New Jersey and Delaware move away from universal mask mandates in schools. I am pleased that there is bipartisan support for doing the same in Virginia,” said Youngkin in a statement to ABC 8 News.
“This shows that when we work across the aisle, we put Virginians first. I look forward to signing this bill when it comes to my desk.”
Virginia’s repeal of school mask mandates was broadly bipartisan, passing the Democrat-majority state senate in a 29-9 vote.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat, also announced that the state’s school mask mandate would expire on Monday, Feb. 28.
California modified its indoor mask mandate to end on Feb. 15.
More Americans have died of the coronavirus during Biden’s tenure than that of his predecessor, with the Democrat failing to deliver on a campaign promise to “shut down the virus.”
Biden has consistently advocated for mask mandates in schools — and beyond — since taking office.
Federal mask mandates remain in place in government buildings and in the military.
The policies now place him at odds with governors and local officials of his own party.
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