NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Governor Bill Lee's latest executive order allows parents with kids in grades K-12 to opt-out of any mask mandate by written notification to the school district or child's school.
"No one cares more about the health and well-being of a child than that child’s parent," Lee said.
In the last two weeks, 1,746 children between 5-18 years old in Shelby County have tested positive for COVID-19. This is an age group seeing an increase in cases with the Delta variant.
"Requiring parents to make children wear masks to solve an adult problem is in my view the wrong approach," Lee said.
Pediatrician Dr. Jason Yaun said with nearly everyone returning to in-person learning this school year, masking is a necessity. He said studies have shown if everyone is masked up in a school, they are not a significant source of community spread.
"For that not to be something that our state and legislators and leaders listen to and heed especially right now is quite frustrating and I think unfortunate for our state and for our citizens," Dr. Yaun said.
Yaun said with the current 7-day average of 406 new cases in Shelby County, a mask mandate inside schools is crucial since those under 12 years old cannot get vaccinated yet.
"We do want parents to have a choice, but we want them to have a choice to choose masking and be able to have safety in our schools," Yaun said.
Experts with Le Bonheur, UTHSC, and the Shelby County Health Department will be available to answer questions Tuesday at 5:30 pm during a webinar about COVID-19 safety for children. The information can be found on Le Bonheur's Facebook page.
Le Bonheur Children's Hospital and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center Back-to-School Task Force believe safety is top priority as children return to school this fall. The Delta variant is creating confusion and questions for schools and parents related to the latest guidance and best practice.
Pediatric health experts from Le Bonheur, UTHSC and Shelby County Health Department will host a webinar for parents with information on scenarios around when to quarantine and isolate, variants, vaccinations and will provide guidance on the latest recommendations for the return to school.
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Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has signed an executive order allowing parents to opt their children out of coronavirus-related mask mandates in K-12 schools, after a few districts issued mask requirements for students, the Associated Press reports.
Lee also said he won't call a special legislative session requested by Republican lawmakers to limit the authority of local officials to make rules aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19. Lee’s executive order addressed a heavily disputed topic of school mask mandates in Tennessee as classes resumed around the state amid a resurgence on COVID-19 cases.
In a tweet late Monday afternoon, Dr. Joris M. Ray, Superintendent of Shelby County Schools, said, “Board Members and I are consulting with our General Counsel to review the legalities of Governor Lee’s Executive Order 84. In the meantime and in alignment with @ShelbyTNHealth Order No. 24, MASKS ARE REQUIRED for all employees, students, and visitors in our schools and offices.”
NEWS RELEASE FROM TENNESSEE GOV. BILL LEE'S OFFICE:
Gov. Lee Signs Executive Order Giving Parents Ability to Opt Out of School Mask Mandates
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed Executive Order 84 to give parents the ability to opt their child out of a local mask mandate enacted by a school or health board.
Gov. Lee’s remarks as prepared for delivery are below:
Thanks for joining today. Before we cover an important COVID-19 announcement, I want to express a heavy heart regarding the tragedy unfolding in Afghanistan. Over the years, many Tennesseans were deployed and some lost their lives to fight the War on Terror and create stability in the region.
The sacrifices of American troops are not in vain. My hope is that wisdom will prevail in the United States’ response. I hope you will join me in praying for the people of Afghanistan.
Let me start off this portion of the briefing by saying that we’re facing a significant challenge in our hospitals as a result of the increase in COVID cases.
The most important tool we have to fight the pandemic is a vaccine. I encourage Tennesseans who have not been vaccinated to talk to their doctor to consider getting vaccinated and to make an informed decision. I worked with my doctor and received the vaccine and it has been a dependable tool to keep me healthy. The government will not mandate or require anyone to get a vaccine but I encourage you to consider it for yourself. It’s widely available, it’s effective and it’s free. More and more Tennesseans are choosing to be vaccinated, almost 100,000 per week and this is good news for the health of our state.
If you do become sick with COVID, early intervention is important - please call your doctor to ask about treatments. Monoclonal antibodies are widely available at 72 centers across our state and are highly effective if used early. Your doctor can advise you on the best route for you.
I want to acknowledge the frustration and fear that many are feeling - fear of COVID and its effects on your family, fear of government intervention and its effect, and frustration over everything from masks to information that changes by the day.
Right now, some of the greatest frustration is occurring in our K-12 schools, especially around the issue of mask mandates. While local decision-making is important, individual decision-making by a parent on issues regarding the health and well-being of their child is the most important.
RELATED: Here’s how to opt your child out of the mask mandate in public school districts in Shelby County
No one cares about the health and well-being of a child more than a parent. I am signing an executive order today that allows parents to opt their children out of a school mask mandate if either a school board or health board enacts one over a district. Districts will make the decision they believe are best for their schools, but parents will have the ultimate decision-making for their individual child’s health and well-being. I will not be calling a special session at this time.
Our hospitals are struggling under the weight of COVID but those hospital beds are filled with adults. Requiring parents to make their children wear masks to solve an adult problem is in my view the wrong approach. Our hospitals and our health care workers are doing everything they can to take care of Tennesseans. That’s why I signed an executive order last week giving them maximum flexibility to do their jobs. My administration continues to provide funding and staffing support to ensure there are no barriers to hospitals facing strain. I commend them once again for their incredible work and service to Tennesseans.
While we deal with this issue, it remains important that we keep our schools open and in person as we’ve seen the devastating loss of progress our kids have had academically when schools were remote or closed. Parents, if your children aren’t feeling well – keep them at home, stay in touch with your pediatrician. Good common sense will go a long way.
I commend school boards across this state as most of you kept your schools open last year and are committed to doing so again this year.
It’s frustrating that we’re headed into another school year with these challenges - it’s disheartening that the COVID challenge continues - but I’m proud of Tennesseans who, in spite of suffering, have persevered, and because of their character, there’s great hope. Thank you for joining today.