On Monday, a federal judge rejected President Joe Biden’s mask mandates for trains and planes. Florida-based U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle ruled that the Centers for Disease Control had skipped a crucial responsibility to get public impact on the mandate, and improperly used the “good cause exemption” to skirt public notice requirements.
The N.C. Senate approved a bill making masks optional in K-12 schools and early childhood programs on state property, thus giving parents control over the decision to mask their children.
COVID-19 numbers are down across the board, yet the governor and health secretary continue to encourage people to wear masks and to follow a two-year-old emergency order.
"We know that keeping kids learning in the classroom is the most important thing for our students right now. Getting vaccinated, wearing a mask in public indoor settings and following the science is what we need to do," said Governor Cooper. "The faster we put this pandemic behind us, the sooner we can all rest easy and stay healthy."
Given the freedom to choose whether to mandate masks for students, school boards across the state have begun voting to make face coverings optional for the coming school year.
Gov. Roy Cooper will allow existing state mask mandates to expire on July 30, but he's recommending required masking for public school students in kindergarten through middle school. Cooper emphasized those changes during a Wednesday afternoon press conference on updated state COVID-19 guidance.
Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper issued his first executive order of the pandemic in March 2020, at the time implementing a interminable state of emergency, a move that’s typically reserved for hurricanes and other natural disasters.
A House Judiciary committee is scheduled Tuesday, April 13, to take up a bill that would fully reopen bars and restaurants, as long as they follow specific safety guidelines.
Gov. Roy Cooper is further easing restrictions on state residents and businesses that began one year ago because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
