Teen dies of COVID-19 - Ohio's GOP governor urges school district mask mandates

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read Black and alternative digital newspaper and Black blog.Tel: (216) 659-0473 and Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com

LANCASTER COUNTY, South Carolina-A 16-year-old student has died of complications from COVID-19, a vivid reminder of the dangers the nation's school children face as they return to school amid a still raging pandemic that is complicated by a rapidly spreading delta variant, a more contagious strain of the coronavirus. 

A Lancaster County, South Carolina  teen, school district officials have confirmed the tragic death. 

"We are saddened to learn of the passing of a 16-year-old Andrew Jackson High student from Covid complications," Lancaster County School District Superintendent Jonathan Phipps said in a statement.

Chief Deputy Coroner Jennifer Collins confirmed the student died August 12 and told CNN that the district already had 21 students infected with Covid-19 and 58 students are in quarantine, ahead of Monday's first day of school. Additionally, there are 20 staff members with confirmed Covid-19 and 40 are quarantining. Phipps said a number of staff members have called in with Covid-19 symptoms, and he expects positive cases to increase. 

According to CNN, Phipps said he expects student enrollment to be above 15,000 this year.

"We are starting school with classes being taught by substitute teachers, administrators are stretched for supervision, buses are doing double routes, maintenance workers are working over(time) to cover those out and we canceled last week's preseason football game at one of our high schools due to eight positive cases with our players," Phipps told CNN .

"We will do the best we can to stay in-person as long as we have coverage," Phipps said.

Phipps has encouraged mask wearing during school for students.

"Although we cannot mandate students to wear a mask, I would ask you to please consider your child wearing a mask especially in those areas where we're not able to social distance," Phipps told CNN.

Gov. Henry McMaster urged schools to continue in-person learning, though he signed an executive order on May 11 that restricted school districts from mandating masks for students.

McMaster is among a  handful of Republican governors who are standing by their  bans on school districts requiring masks as coronavirus infection, transmission and hospitalization rates increase in their states.

Ohio  Gov. Mike DeWine is not among those GOP governors interfering with school district officials as to any masks mandates, and has made a plea to school districts in Ohio Tuesday to enforce masks in schools for students this academic school year amid a rise in COVID-19 cases.

"Just as our kids are back to school, the new delta variant is sweeping across the state taking a direct hit to those who are unvaccinated," DeWine said.

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read Black and alternative digital newspaper and Black blog.Tel: (216) 659-0473 and Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.