A COVID-19-infected eighth grade girl died on Saturday, just hours after she was diagnosed.
For the first few days, masks were not required at her school. Then, cases started to appear among students and teachers.
Although the school has reversed its policy regarding masks, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves is fighting for them.
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On Saturday, a Mississippi eighth grader who had just received a positive COVID-19 test, died.
According to the Mississippi Free Press, the girl was a junior high school student, which started on August 6th, just one week before her death.
In a Facebook post, educators described the girl to be "the perfect student" and said that "every teacher loved her" and "every teacher wanted 30 more like her."
The Smith County School District students went without masks for the first three school days after Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves did not impose a mandate. After dozens of coronavirus-positive students and staff reported, Tate Reeves decided not to impose a mandate.
According to the Mississippi Free Press, Smith County Schools stated that they have taken great care to ensure the safety of their students and staff.
Reeves resisted any actions despite rising cases and spikes in Delta variants across the state.
Reeves, speaking at a press conference on Friday, the day after the eighth-grader's death, said that he wouldn't direct schools to require masks.
He stated that he did not intend to issue a statewide mandate for Mississippians. "I don’t know how to say it differently than I have repeated it for a number days, weeks, and months.
Reeves criticised the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's updated mask guidance. It now recommends that everyone who is fully vaccinated wear masks indoors in order to protect themselves against the coronavirus. Reeves strongly opposed this guidance.
Reeves stated that the "change in CDC's mask guidance was foolish and harmful" and that it reeks political panic to make them appear in control. "It doesn't have anything to do with rational science in Mississippi. We believe in freedom."
These remarks are a complete change from his executive order last year that required teachers and students to wear masks in public schools.
According to the order, masks are important not only for self-protection but also to prevent unknowingly harming fellow Mississippians by asymptomatic transmission of COVID-19 in communities.
