Half of Florida’s 2.8m public school students now face mask mandates

Orange county changes stance after surge in Covid-19 cases

School boards defy Governor Ron DeSantis's ban

Just over half of Florida's 2.8 million public school students are now required to wear masks in classrooms as a courtroom battle continues over efforts by Governor Ron DeSantis to leave such decisions up to parents.

A majority of school board members in Orange county told the superintendent on Tuesday to require most students to wear masks, and agreed with her recommendation to keep the mandate through 30 October.