The Legislature appealed to the state Supreme Court but lost on a request for an immediate stay oof Cooper's ruling. When our officers respond to calls of mask mandate violations, we have a duty to educate the individuals involved about the current law, Sgt. We have a proven solution with the vaccine. Maricopa County supervisors adopted a similar mandate countywide the next day. While both the Maricopa County and Scottsdale mandates require individuals to wear masks in most public spaces, the orders differ in enforcement. Use the 'Report' link on He said that decision left districts in a no-win situation where it had to deal with angry parents who were fighting us every step of the way on this on both sides people who wanted masks all the time, people who wanted social distancing all the time, people who wanted the schools to remain closed, and then people on the other side who just didnt want any of that.. Rain. What is clear and Cooper could void is has been practice of lawmakers to pile various issues into various end-of-session "reconciliation'' bills for years. @ScottsdaleUSD sat on this announcement as long as they could. States with mask mandates Four US states and four territories currently require masks in indoor settings like restaurants, bars and gyms: Illinois Hawaii Oregon Washington District of Columbia Today was the date that Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Randall Warner in August determined was the effective date for the ban. Kelly Townsend of Mesa and Michelle Ugenti Scottsdale made the decision with the decline of infection and hospitalization rates in the county. While the mask mandate and vaccine bans dont have specific penalties for government entities that disobey it, state Attorney General Mark Brnovich has told Tucson it could lose out in $120 million in state share revenue if it tries to enforce a vaccine mandate for city employees. Share with Us. From campus-style resorts to a lush Sonoran Desert landscape thats ripe for exploration, Scottsdale is the ideal choice if youre looking for a getaway that allows you room to roam. Nationally, the overall full vaccination rate is 43.7 percent and those who have received one shot comprise 51 percent of the nation's eligible population. Scottsdale lawmaker: Masks werent needed for AIDS, By Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services. person will not be tolerated. Students as young as kindergarteners were eligible to participate in this screening. That means districts not only are forbidden from requiring students and staff to wear masks in classrooms but also cannot require them for visitors to schools or citizens attending governing board meetings. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. Weve passed all of this into law, and it will not change. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. Low near 40F. Never miss an issue. Ditto, Desai said, of provisions she is challenging that were tucked into various measures, like one that bars colleges and universities from imposing vaccine requirements as a condition to attend classes, prohibits the establishment of a "vaccine passport,'' and bars the teaching of anything in public schools "that presents any form of blame or judgment on the basis of race, ethnicity or sex.''. That was good for 29th place among states and the District of Columbia. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. There was a specific question regarding whether [the CDC order] applied to school buses [] the CDC confirmed that the order applies to school buses, whether they are operated by the district or by a private provider, wrote SUSD. As of Wednesday, more than 2,000 Scottsdale Unified students were stuck at home because they tested positive for the virus or were a close contact of someone who tested positive. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. I look forward to the day when we can declare all clear and remove all restrictions but that day is not today, Ortega said. Chaplik went on to tell colleagues to look at whats happening elsewhere to disprove the claims that masks help prevent the spread of the virus. It was the district's intention to continue a mask-optional policy, but the district was always clear that its plans could change based on circumstances, said Superintendent Scott Menzel. It failed to get the necessary votes when it was considered as a separate measure. Be Proactive. Solem believes that the district already has plenty of good mitigation strategies in place, without a mask requirement. Be Nice. By Corinne Murdock | Last Wednesday, the town of Gilbert apologized for creating a document ranking residents based on By Terri Jo Neff | At a time when one-fourth of all educator positions are vacant statewide, one Arizona school board By Corinne Murdock | Arizona State University (ASU) began paying for childrens gender transitions at the start of the ABOUT | NEWS |OPINION | ECONOMY | EDUCATION | CONTACT |CODE OF ETHICS | PRIVACY POLICY, A project of the Arizona Freedom Foundation | All Rights Reserved 2023, Scottsdale Unified School District Defies Arizonas Mask Mandate Ban, Gilbert Leaders Apologize For Enemy List Ranking Residents, WESD Accepts LGTBQ Community While Devaluing Christians, ASU Also Paying For Childrens Gender Transitions. Yet no masks were required.. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community But our health officials again this year took no action, so I think its a bad policy.. Rain. Scottsdale Unified School District is keeping its mask mandate in effect for now after a Mar. Never miss an issue. The bill doesnt say masks dont work," he said. Tuesday's public hearing was on an instructional model that would make it possible for quarantined or sick students to learn from home without being counted absent. Keep it Clean. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. We are excited to welcome visitors back to Scottsdales sunny Sonoran Desert, and we encourage you to take this Safe Traveler Pledge, a few simple steps to minimize the risk of COVID-19. He said allowing people to ignore such an order sends a bad message. The legislation prohibited schools from requiring masks during school hours "Unless the laws challenged in this case are declared unconstitutional and enjoined, a great many children in Arizona will get COVID-19, they will get sick, they will suffer from long COVID, they will be hospitalized, and they may die,'' Roopali Desai told Cooper. We'd love to hear eyewitness Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, SUSD will still continue to encourage those who have not been vaccinated to wear a mask while on district property, but ultimately, the decision is up to each individual and family.. A crowd of parents and concerned citizens gathered on the sidewalk outside of the district's Mohave Annex Tuesday evening, waving American flags and holding signs that shared messages such as, "masks = fake science," and "I do not coparent with SUSD's governing board.". Should the judges ruling be overturned on appeal, SUSD will follow the law.". He said his team recently identified a new variant with mutations that have shown to reduce antibody response in lab tests, though researchers still dont know how those lab tests translate into real-world scenarios. And that could result in difficulty in getting approval of future controversial measures. Use the 'Report' link on Mask mandate was rarely enforced in Scottsdale, By Wayne Schutsky, Progress Managing Editor. Police Search For Murder Suspect + Students Ill, Pesticide Contact, Local Dive With 'Killer Pizza' + Ukraine Refugees Reflect On Move, Tesla Crashes & Catches Fire Twice In Scottsdale + New Memorial, Social Security Seminar on March 8th and 9th at Eagles Community Center. You have permission to edit this article. Scottsdale says due to a recent drop in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, residents and visitors wont have to wear masks in public areas. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. Keep it Clean. Its dangerous in that it just spreads so much easier but once you get it, its not worse than Alpha.. Amandatory mask mandate issued by Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane in June will remain in place indefinitely pending further review by the mayors office. person will not be tolerated. "Unfortunately, today's decision is the result of a rogue judge interfering with the authority and processes of another branch of government.''. Rain. The city of Scottsdale has dropped its mask mandate, but Maricopa County's is still in place, resulting in two valley hospital systems to come out and say they oppose Scottsdale's decision. Be Truthful. Heidi Vega, spokeswoman for the Arizona School Boards Association, said, As far as the ban on masks, we think the biggest thing to emphasize is that now with variants causing concerns, it will be on the Legislature to deal with the debate over masks. Those strategies include hand washing, extra cleaning and keeping kids home if they are ill. I think that those are very appropriate and responsible things to do, Solem said. Be Truthful. Scottsdale 's neighbor to the east, the Town of Fountain Hills, is dropping its mask requirements for town buildings as of Jan. 1, 2022. Scottsdale offers you advantages that few other destinations can match fresh air, sunny skies and the luxury of space. At the end of a lengthy school board meeting, preceded by a parent protest, board members voted 4-1 in favor of implementing a mask requirement. The Arizona Department of Health Services said 49.6 percent of all eligible Arizonans had received at least one dose of the vaccine. "SUSD has been committed to taking steps to provide in-person learning opportunities while working to mitigate potential spread of COVID-19 on our campuses. The Scottsdale Unified School Board voted 4-1 to implement a mask mandate for its 28 school campuses and district facilities after a more than three-hour The move followed the governors decision in April to rescindthe order mandating masks in schools. It is irresponsible ofthe stategovernmenttostand in the way of local leaders making decisions that protect the health and safety of their students and staff. For more information on preventing the spread of COVID-19, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Maricopa County Department of Public Health and Arizona Department of Health Services. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism The district counters in its statement to parents and staff that most of the district's ZIP codes are in the 'substantial' transmission category. In fact, its reprehensible.. Its about the individual rights of these business owners as Americans, Chaplik argued. Please contact individual businesses directly if you would like detailed information on their efforts to protect you and other guests. Nothing prevents parents from making their own child wear a mask in school. mask mandates Photo Courtesy of YouTube Oct 3, 2021 0 Parents and others jammed the meeting room for Scottsdale Unified Governing Boards meeting Sept. 28, Threats of harming another Be Proactive. LaBaer, too, acknowledged that enforcement impacted the effectiveness of mitigation measures, noting that Arizona faced a massive surge in cases over the winter when the mandates were still in effect. Travel Requirements Afirst-term Scottsdale legislator convinced colleagues last week to let businesses ignore mask mandates to stem the spread of COVID by arguing that they werent needed decades ago to stop the spread of AIDS. Whenever possible, use contactless payment methods (i.e. "Today, Governor Doug Ducey and the Arizona Department of Health Services have taken action to rescind orders requiring school districts to implement face covering policies," SUSD's letter says. SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. There were two main camps at a rally in Scottsdale Wednesday: people against wearing masks and people against being told to wear masks. accounts, the history behind an article. SUSD parent Amanda Wray tweeted a screenshot of SUSDs district-wide email announcing the mask mandate on Friday. Chance of rain 100%. But data released last week show case numbers are on the rise within SUSD boundaries, and the county upgraded the area from moderate to substantial transmission. And K6-12 the vaccination rates are pretty poor still and Pfizer is so far the only one that can go below age 16., As a new school year begins, though, there are still risks with this virus and particularly because of Delta its a lot easier to catch it, he continued. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Be Proactive. I wish more places would lift the mask mandate.". Students who choose to ride the bus, along with SUSD bus drivers, will be required to wear masks while on the bus. Sign up for free today. The district cut off those parents, who called in to make their comments since the meeting was closed to the public and only viewable via YouTube. Keep it Clean. And that includes most K-12 students, especially those in lower grades who have not been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration to get COVID shots. It also sends a message to lawmakers that they can no longer use the practice of piling apparently unrelated issues into bills in an effort to corral the votes for the entire package. Pre-departure testing is no longer required, but non-U.S. citizens visiting the U.S. must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 unless they meet criteria for an exception. There are places where owners wanted to do the right thing, and used the governments requirement as the heavy; now, they cant use that, so they have to decide Im going to fight my customers, so Ill just give up, he said. We will not be listening to the lockdown lobby. Karamargin called the ruling "clearly an example of judicial overreach'' and promised an appeal. However, Superintendent Dr. Scott Menzel sent a letter to parents on May 14 notifying them that district had planned to make masks optional next school year. In a blistering opinion Monday, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Katherine Cooper voided the ban on mask and vaccine mandates along with a number of other measures Republicans had tacked onto the state budget bill with no hearings in the waning days of the session. The new ban comes at a time when vaccination rates are flagging and when the more contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 has been spreading across Arizona and the rest of the country. Duceys order lifted mask mandates on private businesses, putting the onus on them to optionally enforce one if they choose. State Senator Michelle Ugenti-Rita (R-Scottsdale) responded to parents concerned over SUSDs decision to break state law with a mask mandate. Low near 40F. We are able and capable of making the best decisions for our families, Solem said. that is degrading to another person. Periods of rain early. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. https://twitter.com/AmandaWray/status/1418735083767300101. If you are in need of a COVID-19 test while in Scottsdale, most pharmacies and grocery stores offer free testing; the Arizona Department of Health Services maintains a list of such sites. Which states have mask mandates?CaliforniaHawaiiIllinoisNevadaNew MexicoNew YorkOregonWashington Recommended Face Coverings She said that's backed by evidence that shows not just an increasing number of cases among children now one out of every four in Maricopa County but also that schools with mask mandates have a lower rate of infection than those without. These steps were targeted to situations where person-to-person infection conditions were known to be high, and so they had an immediate effect on reversing the infection rate trend, Lane said. 2023 Experience Scottsdale All rights reserved, Top 10 Signature Scottsdale Spouse Programs, Canadian Meetings FAM - Attendee Registration, Keeping Scottsdales tourism industry strong, Increasing International Flight Service a Win for Scottsdale, Scottsdales Culinary Scene Earns National Acclaim, Kickstarting Scottsdale Tourisms Recovery, Limited Service and Moderate Hotel Strategy Session, Scottsdale Experiential Development Applicationcottsdale, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Maricopa County Department of Public Health, Arizona Department of Health Services maintains a list of such sites, city of Scottsdale has information on additional sites throughout the city. In a statement issued on Monday, Scottsdale Mayor accounts, the history behind an article. Sign up for free today. Scottsdale Mayor, Jim Lane, has ordered the city's mask mandate to end. Threats of harming another for your purchases. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. Maricopa County is expected to vote on whether to extend their mandate on Oct. 7. "I don't agree with it. "Together these requirements promote transparency and the public's access to information about legislative action,'' she wrote. The largest spike was in 85259, which had 82 new cases per 100,000 from March 21 to March 27, up from 43 the week prior. Relying on individual decisions to keep the spread of COVID-19 in check has not gone well so far, Hart-Wells said. Now theyre saying, actually weve given you the choice for 10 days but now we think we know best so were now going to force the mandate even though we said we would allow you to choose, Solem said. 15-342.05) from requiring students to be vaccinated against COVID. Earlier this month, the Arizona legislature banned mask mandates within its K-12 budget. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. Your health is the highest priority at Scottdale-area airports, from the moment you land until you depart for home. The violators are given a verbal warning and an opportunity to comply with the law. As they have been throughout the country, the districts mask mandate was a polarizing subject in the community. person will not be tolerated. They wanted to flex their muscles and so they made sure that that was put into the budget reconciliation bill and now districts and parents are going to have to live with it.. We'd love to hear eyewitness Noting there are about 610,000 children under 12 in Arizona who are not eligible for a vaccine, Harrell said the Legislatures decision puts them in harms way., And thats unacceptable, she said. Sign up for free today. That says that were at the very minimum stabilized; I think well have to keep watching it to see if that becomes a solid upward trend, he added. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, "Both state that school districts should continue to implement mitigation strategies as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Never miss an issue. But he said Ducey should have left the mandates in place for another six to eight weeks, at least until a larger percentage of young people are vaccinated because they are transmitting it to others who are dying.. Violations of the county order carry a $50 fine. ", "We all know masking has been very effective in bringing down the number of hospitalizations.". You matter to us. Don't knowingly lie about anyone Don't knowingly lie about anyone Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. The bill gives business owners the right to make a decision.. Threats of harming another Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. or anything. Apple Pay, Venmo, PayPal One Touch, etc.) "Last night our governing board members voted unanimously to require masks throughout the district. Independent Living for Seniors: Estrella Estates NEW LISTING! The city of Scottsdale has information on additional sites throughout the city. The data showed that new cases per 100,000 residents nearly doubled from 33 to 60 from the end of June to the beginning of July. We'd love to hear eyewitness each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Here's a running list of the school districts in the state of Arizona that still require masks inside schools: This is a developing story. Humble said he believes an increase in cases will likely be driven by new COVID-19 variants. racist or sexually-oriented language. At least one other lawmaker took notice. Arizona does not allow mask mandates, vaccine mandates, vaccine passports or discrimination in schools based on who is or isnt vaccinated. She said her employees wear masks. When considering only those age 18 and older, that number in Arizona rose to 62.2 percent, according to an analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One of the most polarizing issues in Scottsdale Unified and most other school districts likely wont be going away any time soon after a judge ruled the ban on mask mandates and a slew of other measures passed by Republican legislators unconstitutional. Don't Threaten. ], https://twitter.com/MichelleUgenti/status/1418748330964779012. Osborne also said there are other mandates on business that are accepted, like having sprinklers and fire extinguishers. Rep. Randall Friese, D-Tucson, who is a physician, said masks are part of the very basic, important tools, along with hand washing and social distancing, to curb the spread. On a request for an immediate stay oof Cooper 's ruling Patch newsletters and alerts additional sites throughout the 's... Down the number of hospitalizations. `` and safety of their students staff... Said there are other mandates on private businesses scottsdale az mask mandate putting the onus on them to optionally enforce if. Susd will follow the law. `` bill gives business owners as Americans, Chaplik argued residents... Leaders making decisions that protect the health and safety of their students staff! Business owners as Americans, Chaplik argued been very effective in bringing down the number hospitalizations! He believes an increase in cases will likely be driven By NEW COVID-19.... Fischer, Capitol Media Services Last night our governing board members voted to. Solem believes that the District a bad policy and safety of their students staff. R-Scottsdale ) responded to parents concerned over SUSDs decision to break state with. Kids home if they choose keeping its mask mandate in effect for now after a Mar quarter of an.... Well so far, Hart-Wells said Rainfall around a quarter of an inch a bad policy '' promised! 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Covid-19 variants fresh air, sunny skies and the public 's access to information legislative. Requiring students to be vaccinated against COVID Touch, etc. the districts mask mandate ``.