Lee County School District

A Leon County judge, Wednesday, vacated an automatic stay on Governor Ron DeSantis’ executive order barring school districts from imposing student mask mandates. This provides a temporary reprieve allowing school districts with mask mandates to keep them in place. Judge John Cooper said the state didn’t prove how it would be harmed if the ruling was allowed to go into effect.Lee County School District officials sent a letter to the Department of Education responding to threats of withholding state funds and imposing other sanctions over the district’s mandatory mask rule. In the response, officials say the Lee School District’s mask rule is in compliance with state law.Lee Health has surpassed 1,000 deaths of hospitalized COVID-19 patients since the beginning of the pandemic. Overall COVID patient populations in Southwest Florida hospitals are in decline even as in-hospital deaths have been on the rise in recent days.

Two lawsuits over mask wearing in Florida schools will get hearings today. A state judge is considering whether local school district mandates will be able to stay in place until an appeals court weighs in on a ruling last month that struck down Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order barring school districts from imposing student mask mandates. A separate federal suit arguing that kids with disabilities and severe medical conditions are so vulnerable that they won’t be able to go to school unless everyone is wearing a mask.Statewide COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations are on the decline. Health officials are cautiously optimistic as hospital resources remain strained.More COVID-19 cases have been reported in Lee County schools in the first four weeks of this school year than were reported in the entire last school year. The number of COVID infections reported in Collier County Schools is on pace to surpass the last school year’s total by the end of this month.Gas prices in Florida over the Labor Day holiday weekend were at their highest level in seven years due to the pandemic and impacts from Hurricane Ida.

The ongoing surge in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations largely driven by the Delta variant has resulted in an exponential increase in pediatric patients requiring treatment and hospitalization in Lee Health’s Golisano Children’s Hospital in Fort Myers. The start of a new school year, with mask wearing optional, is raising concerns among local healthcare professionals.

With the 2021-2022 school year about to begin during a persisting pandemic, professionals share resources and advice for helping students cope with back-to-school anxiety, bullying, and more.

Controversy continued Monday night over the Lee County School District’s student code of conduct, particularly as it pertains to non-discrimination policy concerning LGBTQ students. District staff recommend the removal of an Equality Florida poster from schools that spell out LGBTQ student rights.

State Health officials reported 2,826 new COVID-19 cases and 93 deaths on Monday. Meanwhile more than 4.2 million people in Florida have been vaccinated, including more than 1.88 people who have received a first dose, more than 2.2 million who have completed the series with two doses and more than 90,000 people who have received the single-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine.On Monday, Governor Ron DeSantis expanded vaccine eligibility to adults 60 and older and he expressed confidence that Florida will open vaccine eligibility to all adults by President Joe Biden’s deadline of May 1.

State health officials reported 6,771 COVID-19 cases and 197 deaths, Wednesday. The Florida Department of Health is requesting an audit after more than 1,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses spoiled in Palm Beach County. Lee Health’s Board of Directors sent a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state officials, Monday, expressing concerns about Florida’s vaccine rollout and noting that only about half of the hospital system’s employees have been given the vaccine. The Lee County School District has quarantined three elementary school classrooms this week due to cases of the virus. The Marco Island Police Chief and Marco Island Fire-Rescue Chief face a 30-day unpaid suspension stemming from an investigation into access of the city’s online vaccine appointment registration system. Democrats in the state Legislature are pushing a bill to keep state exam scores from being used to hold students back or evaluate teachers.

State health officials reported 8,720 new COVID-19 cases, Monday, for a total of 1,658,169 infections.The Florida Department of Health reported 153 coronavirus-related deaths, Jan. 25, increasing the statewide death toll to 25,849 fatalities.

State health officials reported 9,592 new COVID-19 cases, Wednesday, for a total of 1,083,362 cases.The Florida Department of Health also reported 84 new coronavirus-related deaths, Dec. 9, increasing the statewide death toll to 19,716 fatalities since the start of the pandemic.

State health officials reported 7,925 COVID-19 cases, Wednesday, for a total of 905,248 cases. The Florida Department of Health also reported 87 new coronavirus-related deaths, Nov. 18, increasing the statewide death toll to 17,949 fatalities.Over the past seven days, the single-day average number of new infections reported has increased to nearly 6,735 cases. The average number of daily deaths reported over the past week now stands at nearly 56 fatalities a day.