Florida faculty district calls emergency assembly after 5,500+ college students compelled to quarantine over COVID-19 outbreak

© AP image/Chris O'Meara Hillsborough County Superintendent of faculties Addison Davis, right, speaks to Carletta Braden and her son James earlier than the first day of school at Sessums elementary college Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021, in Riverview, Fla. AP image/Chris O'Meara

Hillsborough County college District in Tampa, Florida, includes greater than 300 faculties and 233,000 college students.

greater than 5,500 students in the school district are being forced to quarantine because of COVID-19.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has prohibited it and different districts from requiring masks.

See greater experiences on Insider's business web page.

more than 5,500 college students at a college district in central Florida are being forced to quarantine because of a virus of COVID-19, prompting the faculty board to announce Monday that it's conserving an emergency assembly to talk about "obligatory face coverings."

The outbreak at Hillsborough County Public schools in Tampa comes less than every week after students back to in-person gaining knowledge of there. As of Monday morning, 5,599 students and 316 personnel are separating after either checking out high quality or being in shut contact with someone who has, the school board spoke of.

Superintendent Addison Davis had issued a requirement that all college students wear masks. however Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has prohibited such mandates, forcing the school district to permit any parent who wishes to "choose out" their baby with a note.

"whereas the outcomes can be the identical even if we make face coverings optional or required with an opt-out, we trust this decision continues as an instance that Hillsborough County Public schools takes public defense seriously," Davis observed prior this month, Florida Politics suggested.

on the emergency assembly on Wednesday, the school board stated it'll "focus on the most efficient option to mitigate in opposition t the unfold of the virus, as much as and including obligatory face coverings for all students and team of workers."

DeSantis has threatened to tug funding from faculties that proceed with masks requirements amid the surge in COVID-19 led to with the aid of lagging vaccination rates and the Delta variant. but closing week the Biden administration pledged to step in with extra federal funds should that happen.

Have a news tip? electronic mail this reporter: cdavis@insider.com