This is a petition asking Gov. Asa Hutchinson and NWA School Leaders to require masks to be worn in all schools for the 2021-2022 school year, and most importantly during cold/flu/holiday season (Nov-Feb). The CDC reported 1,316 flu cases between 09/2020 - 01/2021. The previous year (prior to masks) they reported 130,000 cases during the same time. In 2013, a study by Harvard School of Public Health recommend face masks to help prevent the spread of flu. In a Dec 2020 interview in the NWA Democrat Gazette with Jennifer Dillaha, AR Dept of Health Dir of Immunizations, she said "the measures (we're taking) to stop the spread of covid-19 are working to prevent the spread of flu".
We cannot stop what we've been doing to prevent covid-19 (social distancing, extra cleaning in schools, masks). AR State Sec. of Health, Dr. Jose Romero said in a 7/21 Newsweek interview "in a setting were you don't have strict mitigation it (covid-19) will spread very, very quickly in our schools." Please require masks in schools this fall!
