On Nov. 1, Miami-Dade County Public Schools relaxed the mask mandate, allowing middle school and high school students to opt out of wearing masks during school hours effective immediately. This decision came after Florida experienced a decline in COVID-19 cases for nine consecutive weeks.

Before the relaxation could go into effect, the MDCPS School Board set seven requirements including: 100 or fewer new COVID-19 patient hospital admissions per day, 60% of 12-to 17-year-olds fully vaccinated (and 80% with a single dose) and a 5% COVID-19 positivity rate in Miami-Dade County.

Though the state allowed public schools to begin the 2021-2022 school year with a relaxed mandate, Miami-Dade and Broward County, along with a few other Florida school districts, required masks. Last week, however, Broward County allowed their middle and high schools to begin optional mask-wearing, thus prompting Miami-Dade to do the same. 

Students must have their parents complete an opt-out form in order to stop wearing their masks at school, which Miami Palmetto Senior High School will be providing shortly.