With schools just weeks away from welcoming students and teachers back to area classrooms, the Nebraska State Education Association is calling for a face mask mandate in Douglas County, particularly in Omaha.
NSEA sent letters Friday to the Douglas County Board of Health and the Omaha City Council citing advice from the Centers for Disease Control “in support of a mask mandate for all citizens.”
The letters also call for quick action: “We urgently ask that you act to immediately to require masks be worn by all members of our community to help ensure the health and safety of children, school staff and all our citizens.”
The full text of both letters reads:
On behalf of the educators who live and work in Douglas County, we are writing in support of a mask mandate for all citizens. We are just a few short weeks from the start of the school year and teachers are eager to reconnect with their students. Yet, if we cannot do so with the appropriate health measures in place and enforced, the lives of all students and school staff are at risk. We agree with the American Academy of Pediatrics that children older than 2 should wear masks, unless wearing a cloth face covering may exacerbate a physical or mental health condition, lead to a medical emergency, or introduce significant safety concerns. Just last week, the Centers for Disease Control Director Dr. Robert Redfield said, “If all of us would put on a face covering now for the next 4-6 weeks, we could drive this epidemic to the ground.” We urgently ask that you act to immediately to require masks be worn by all members of our community to help ensure the health and safety of children, school staff and all our citizens. The safety and health of students, staff and families are paramount as decisions are made about physically reopening our school buildings. The lives of children, educators – and those of the family members they come home to – are at stake.
Sincerely,
Jenni Benson, President, Nebraska State Education Association
Carla Rohwer, President, Elkhorn Education Association
Tim Royers, President-elect, Millard Education Association
Paul Schulte, President, Millard Education Association
Robert Miller, President, Omaha Education Association
Jane Leadabrand, President, Ralston Education Association
Teresa Matthews, President, Westside Education Association