Alachua County

Alachua County is moving forward with requiring students to have doctors’ notes to avoid wearing masks, while Leon County backed away from a similar plan and will comply with the state’s demands.

Leon and Alachua officials decided to require parents to submit doctors’ notes for children to be exempt, drawing objections from the education commissioner. Broward officials could be next after a Tuesday vote.

The Broward, Leon, Duval and Alachua school districts began testing how far they can go regarding student mask mandates, setting up potential showdowns with the governor and education commissioner.

In Alachua County, the school district is still finalizing a COVID plan, but it did announce the hiring of 30 nurses to help mitigate the virus.

A panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal, in a 2-1 decision, refused a request by Alachua County for a rehearing. The court did not explain its reasons.

With mask-wearing mandates gone, businesses are deciding whether to ditch the requirement in their facilities.

Although the state has banned local governments from requiring people to wear masks, cases involving such mandates in Alachua and Palm Beach counties are still going through the courts.

An appeals court has not ruled on the challenge to the county mask order and an attorney for the plaintiff filed a document suggesting the case is moot after a governor's order halting local restructions,

County Commissioners voted unanimously to pass Emergency Order 21-13, which aligns with the CDC's interim public health recommendations.

An appeals court in Tallahassee this week heard arguments in a mask mandate challenge, after an Alachua County man’s case had been rejected by lower courts.