In Florida, Brevard County’s fire chief is pleading with residents to cut back on 911 calls as a surge of COVID-19 cases is overwhelming hospitals and leading to a shortage of ambulances. In Broward County, teachers union president Anna Fusco says four Broward County school teachers died of COVID-19 in just one 24-hour period this week. And she said students are getting sick and dying across Florida, too.

Anna Fusco: “We had a student pass away in Duval County. We had a student pass away in Alachua County. And right here in Broward County, we have a 15-year-old high school student that is at a school that’s no less than five miles away from our union hall that is fighting for her life on a respirator.”

Over 800 Florida physicians have signed an open letter to Republican Governor Ron DeSantis calling on him to repeal his executive order punishing school districts and officials who order mask mandates and other public health measures. DeSantis has threatened to stop paying the salaries of school administrators who support mask mandates.

In Texas, Houston school board officials have voted to require all staff, students and visitors to wear masks on school property. The order defies a ban on mask mandates by Republican Governor Greg Abbott.