Coronavirus

Ruling that Gov. Ron DeSantis overstepped his constitutional authority, a Leon County circuit judge on Friday sided with a group of parents in a high-profile lawsuit challenging DeSantis’ July 30 executive order that sought to bar school districts from requiring students to wear masks.

As the legal battle plays out, eight school districts as of Tuesday afternoon had voted to require masks for students, with exceptions only for students whose parents submit doctors’ notes. The mask mandates in the eight counties cover an estimated 1.23 million students, based on state enrollment data from the 2020-2021 school year.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that he is launching a rapid response unit to expand the use of monoclonal antibodies and relieve pressure at hospitals that continue to report a rise in COVID-19 patients.

In a three-page letter responding to the state, Alachua County Superintendent Carlee Simon and School Board Chairwoman Leanetta McNealy on Tuesday cited a “twenty-fold” increase in local COVID-19 cases over the past six weeks and rising hospitalizations --- even among children --- in their decision to stay the course.

Ninety percent of them are full.

The State Board of Education is also considering a voucher program that would allow public school students to transfer to private schools without mask mandates.

A South Florida hospital chain is suspending elective surgeries and putting beds in conference rooms, an auditorium and even a cafeteria as many more patients seek treatment for COVID-19.