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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday an emergency order allowing parents to decide whether their children should quarantine or stay in school if they're exposed to COVID-19, provided they're asymptomatic.

Why it matters: People infected with COVID-19 can spread the coronavirus starting from two days before they display symptoms, according to the CDC. Quarantine helps prevent the virus' spread.

The CDC recommends unvaccinated students quarantine for 14 days. This period can be shortened to seven days if they test negative, per the CDC.

Of note: The order from State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, who was appointed Tuesday, also strengthen's the state's prohibition against school mask mandates.

This prompted a judge to dismiss a lawsuit against the old rule that had been filed by five Florida school districts, per the Washington Post.

What they're saying: "Quarantining healthy students is incredibly damaging for their educational advancement," the Republican governor said at a news conference in Kissimmee on Wednesday. "It's also disruptive for families. We are going to be following a symptoms-based approach."

Corcoran noted in a statement that he and DeSantis "share a similar vision of weighing the costs and benefits of public health policies."

Asymptomatic Florida students exposed to COVID no longer have to quarantine

Parents can now decide whether their children should quarantine or stay in school under a new rule.

 Florida Governor Ron DeSantis holds a news conference at the Florida Department of Health office in Viera, Florida, Sept. 1.

Gov. Ron DeSantis during a September news conference in Viera, Florida. Photo: Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Florida

Coronavirus

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="an emergency order" data-vars-click-url="https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/64DER21-15.pdf" data-vars-content-id="3a4580a8-d2ef-43fe-a187-ce35305f1903" data-vars-headline="Asymptomatic Florida students exposed to COVID no longer have to quarantine" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/64DER21-15.pdf" target="_blank">an emergency order</a> allowing parents to decide whether their children should quarantine or stay in school if they&#x27;re exposed to COVID-19, provided they&#x27;re asymptomatic.Why it matters: People infected with COVID-19 can spread the coronavirus starting from two days before they display symptoms, according <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="to the CDC" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/quarantine-isolation.html" data-vars-content-id="3a4580a8-d2ef-43fe-a187-ce35305f1903" data-vars-headline="Asymptomatic Florida students exposed to COVID no longer have to quarantine" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/quarantine-isolation.html" target="_blank">to the CDC</a>. Quarantine <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="helps prevent the virus&#x27; spread" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/cdc-covid-19-exposure-quarantine-period-guidance-5d2b65ac-3413-4436-896f-c83c4d9d8e3d.html" data-vars-content-id="3a4580a8-d2ef-43fe-a187-ce35305f1903" data-vars-headline="Asymptomatic Florida students exposed to COVID no longer have to quarantine" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/cdc-covid-19-exposure-quarantine-period-guidance-5d2b65ac-3413-4436-896f-c83c4d9d8e3d.html" target="_self">helps prevent the virus&#x27; spread</a>.

COVID

The Broward County School Board has become the latest in Florida to defy the state's mask mandate ban, voting on Tuesday to keep the requirement for students and staff.

Why it matters: Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has threatened to withhold the pay of superintendents and school board members who defy his executive order barring schools from issuing mask mandates, as Florida experiences a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. 

The Florida Department of Education has already sent a letter to the Broward County School Board following the 8-1 vote in favor of the mandate.

The big picture: Several school districts in Florida are pushing back on DeSantis' ban. It's a similar situation in Texas, where cases are also surging. 

Two school districts in Dallas and Bexar counties were granted by a judge on Tuesday the "temporary power to issue mask mandates" despite Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's order barring the health measure, per the Texas Tribune.

What they're saying: Broward County School Board chair Rosalind Osgood said during a meeting on the matter Tuesday that they "can't ignore this pandemic," per CNN.

"It's deadly, and it's getting worse instead of better and the more we don't use masks, the more we position the mutation of this virus to grow," Osgood added.

The other side: Florida Department of Education commissioner Richard Corcoran wrote in his letter that he was launching an investigation into the matter and demanded the board provide a written response by 5 p.m. this Friday.

"This letter is sent to express my grave concern regarding your district's significant neglect in response to the recently adopted Emergency Rule," he wrote.

He said the department's emergency order banning mask mandates made clear that such policies imposed by a district or school "'must allow for a parent or legal guardian of the student to opt-out the student from wearing a face covering or mask.'"

Florida and Texas schools defy governors' orders banning mask mandates

Florida's Republican governor has threatened to withhold the pay of superintendents and school board members who defy the ban.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during an event at the Grand Beach Hotel Surfside on August 10

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis  during an event in Surfside, Florida, on Tuesday. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Face masks

Top Stories

The Broward County School Board has become the latest in Florida to defy the state&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="mask mandate ban" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/covid-masks-florida-schools-desantis-1ed7d9c7-817a-47a9-8b62-06f2f056030d.html" data-vars-content-id="c46e3bee-790d-4195-bf0c-f37b8e330cb1" data-vars-headline="Florida and Texas schools defy governors&#x27; orders banning mask mandates" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/covid-masks-florida-schools-desantis-1ed7d9c7-817a-47a9-8b62-06f2f056030d.html" target="_self">mask mandate ban</a>, voting on Tuesday to keep the requirement for students and staff.Why it matters: Republican Gov. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Ron DeSantis has threatened" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/desantis-school-face-mask-salaries-accb044a-f6a0-4157-bc2d-3ba7310b44e6.html" data-vars-content-id="c46e3bee-790d-4195-bf0c-f37b8e330cb1" data-vars-headline="Florida and Texas schools defy governors&#x27; orders banning mask mandates" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/desantis-school-face-mask-salaries-accb044a-f6a0-4157-bc2d-3ba7310b44e6.html" target="_self">Ron DeSantis has threatened</a> to withhold the pay of superintendents and school board members who defy <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="his executive order" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/covid-masks-florida-schools-desantis-1ed7d9c7-817a-47a9-8b62-06f2f056030d.html" data-vars-content-id="c46e3bee-790d-4195-bf0c-f37b8e330cb1" data-vars-headline="Florida and Texas schools defy governors&#x27; orders banning mask mandates" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/covid-masks-florida-schools-desantis-1ed7d9c7-817a-47a9-8b62-06f2f056030d.html" target="_self">his executive order</a> barring schools from issuing mask mandates, as Florida <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="experiences a surge" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/tampa-bay-florida-covid-restrictions-masking-0a9d3426-82fe-4bed-bc09-bace047767ef.html" data-vars-content-id="c46e3bee-790d-4195-bf0c-f37b8e330cb1" data-vars-headline="Florida and Texas schools defy governors&#x27; orders banning mask mandates" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/tampa-bay-florida-covid-restrictions-masking-0a9d3426-82fe-4bed-bc09-bace047767ef.html" target="_self">experiences a surge</a> in COVID-19 <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="cases and hospitalizations" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/florida-records-most-new-covid-cases-0a9d2dad-420f-4374-8b55-b970fb5f0873.html" data-vars-content-id="c46e3bee-790d-4195-bf0c-f37b8e330cb1" data-vars-headline="Florida and Texas schools defy governors&#x27; orders banning mask mandates" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/florida-records-most-new-covid-cases-0a9d2dad-420f-4374-8b55-b970fb5f0873.html" target="_self">cases and hospitalizations</a>.

Rebecca Falconer

Featured stories

Asymptomatic Florida students exposed to COVID no longer have to quarantine

Florida and Texas schools defy governors' orders banning mask mandates