Recently, Dr. Anthony Fauci announced his retirement from fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. While the doctor stood at the forefront since the first case was announced, his advice led to many of the restrictions and mandates Americans are still struggling with today. The end might be here for the famed doctor, but again, Americans are dealing with the aftermath of lockdowns, mask mandates, and the COVID-19 drug. In Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser is apparently denying kids who are not up to date with COVID-19 shots an education. 

**Let’s Connect! Join Our Community**

Holding a press conference, Mayor Bowser, a Democrat, admitted that there was no alternative plan for students who won’t be able to attend school due to the COVID-19 mandate placed on the district. According to the data, 40% of African American teenagers in the area have not received the COVID-19 shot. During the conference, Mayor Bowser insisted, “They can go to school on Monday. But they need to get their vaccinations … and their families will be alerted as to the dates.” 

Close

Giving more information on the current mandates placed on students, the State Superintendent of Education for D.C. said in a statement, “all students must have up-to-date immunization certification on file with the school within the first 20 school days, or they will not be allowed to attend school or school activities until the immunization certification is secured by the school. If the student does not come into compliance within a 20-school day period, the school must remove the student from school until the immunization certification is secured by the school.”  

Since virtual learning was heavily used during the COVID-19 pandemic, when asked if the students not getting the jab can go to school online, the Mayor admitted, “We’re not offering remote learning for children, and families will need to comply with what is necessary to come to school.” 

On August 25th, the District of Columbia Public Schools released a statement on their website about the new mandates. “The Coronavirus Immunization of School Students and Early Childhood Workers Amendment Act of 2021, which the Council passed in 2021, requires students ages 12 and older to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to attend school.”

Not all that surprising, in August of 2021, Mayor Muriel Bowser tried to force the COVID-19 drug on all District employees. The deadline was September 19, 2021. Employees could deny the jab for medical or religious reasons, but it came with weekly COVID-19 testing. On Thursday, a D.C. Superior Judge found the mandate to be unlawful. 

At the time of the ruling, Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office responded, “We are reviewing the Court’s ruling and believe that the judge misunderstood the strength and diversity of the authorities we relied upon in issuing the employee vaccination mandate. Over the past year and a half, we have seen that COVID-19 vaccines work — they keep people out of the hospital and save lives. We are grateful for all residents and employees who stepped up and got vaccinated, whether they did so with no reservations or whether they did so nervously but because they knew it was the right thing to do. Because of our collective effort, countless lives have been saved. Going forward, we will comply with the Court’s orders as we continue encouraging our community to access life-saving vaccines.”