President Joe Biden will outline his new plan for combating the COVID-19 pandemic on Thursday as America is still facing a surge in cases and hospitalizations.
While vaccines offer protection against hospitalizations and deaths, the highly contagious Delta variant continues to fuel spikes in cases across the U.S. and hospitals are warning they cannot care for the number of patients being admitted.
Biden is expected to deliver his remarks at 5 p.m. His speech can be viewed live on the White House’s YouTube channel.
One of the president’s top priorities for the COVID-19 pandemic response is regarding schools. Educational facilities have struggled to find the right approach in balancing the safety of students and faculty with the need for in-person learning. Some schools have mandated vaccines for eligible faculty members and required masks for everyone in the building.
However, officials in other states—including Texas, Florida and Arkansas—have blocked schools from implementing such requirements. Under an executive order from Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott, schools receiving public funds are not permitted to require people to wear masks or be vaccinated to engage in in-person learning.
A similar ban on mask mandates in schools was in place in Florida and Arkansas but was struck down by judges. The lifting of the ban was a welcome change for Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, who expressed regret over signing the legislation into law. But Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has stood behind his decision to block mandates.
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DeSantis vowed to appeal a judge’s decision that the governor did not have the authority to bar schools from enforcing mask mandates. However, Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper ruled against DeSantis on the conclusion that his initial ruling would be unlikely to be overruled on appeal.
The Florida governor’s office called Cooper’s ruling “no surprise,” and DeSantis’ communications director said the governor plans to file an emergency order to reinstate the stay, anticipating an appellate court would rule quickly on it.
If a judge does reinstate the stay, it would enable the state to continue penalizing districts that enact mask requirements.
DeSantis has tried to argue that he isn’t banning mandates but rather mandates that don’t allow parents to opt out. He said it’s a violation of the Florida Parents Bill of Rights, which intends to give parents the authority over their child’s health.
Along with a focus on schools, Biden’s plan of attack is expected to attempt to encourage people to get vaccinated. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday America’s seen a “range of ways” to increase vaccinations, including companies mandating them for their employees.
Biden encouraged businesses to implement the requirement, but the White House denies there are plans for federal mask mandates.
“There will be no nationwide mandate,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), posted on Twitter. “There will be no federal mandate.”
