MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Is the COVID-19 pandemic really just an adult problem? Tennessee’s governor thinks so, and he’s showing it with every irresponsible decision he makes in response to the virus.
Monday, Gov. Bill Lee made another one, signing an executive order allowing parents to opt out of mask mandates at K-12 public schools throughout the state. Almost immediately, suburban Shelby County school districts lifted the county health department’s requirement that students wear masks inside school buildings.
We can debate mask mandates for children all day long, although the pushback by some parents locally and elsewhere in Tennessee has been shameful. But Governor Lee is flat wrong to characterize the pandemic as an adult problem. While announcing the executive order yesterday, Lee said, and I quote, “Requiring parents to make their children wear masks to solve an adult problem is in my view the wrong approach,” unquote.
Well, tell that to the families of kids at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital where there has been a noticeable increase in adolescent COVID cases. As of Friday, Le Bonheur had 20 young COVID patients, including seven in critical care. No, that’s not a lot compared to adults hospitalized with COVID, but it’s a fact that the Delta variant is attacking more children than the original virus strain, which is why mandating masks at school is the least we can do to slow the spread and keep everyone safe.
I’m Otis Sanford, and that’s my point of view.