Faculty union wants mask mandate on Florida college campuses
Vaccination, testing ramps up across Bay Area
As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to climb in Florida, so is the number of vaccinations. CDC data shows that new vaccinations across the U.S. have nearly doubled from last month, a promising sign of growing interest in the shots amid surging infections and a push to get kids vaccinated as the new school year starts.
The United Faculty of Florida is asking Gov. Ron DeSantis to call for a mask mandate on all college and university campuses in the state.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidelines in July recommending that all people, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks indoors in areas of high COVID-19 transmission.
In its letter Wednesday to DeSantis, the faculty union urged support for all campuses to "follow CDC recommendations, including universal masking indoors and other common-sense measures, to limit severe illness and keep our colleges and universities open for learning."
The state university system’s Board of Governors has not mandated masks on campus as classes prepare to begin Aug. 23 for most universities. Also, DeSantis has been an opponent of mask mandates, most notably in the public-school system.
READ: USF enrolling Bay Area children as part of Moderna vaccine study
In the letter, the faculty union also urged support for the position that "all higher-ed students and faculty should be vaccinated," and that "sufficient" online and remote learning options are provided for students.