FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
CONTACT: Liz Doherty
Cooper for NC Statement on Dan Forest’s Call to Reopen Schools Now
RALEIGH — Today, in response to Lt. Gov. Dan Forest’s call to reopen North Carolina schools immediately and lift the mask mandate, Cooper for NC spokesperson Liz Doherty released the following statement:
“Dan Forest is promising to put students, teachers and families in harm’s way immediately without any safety precautions because he cares more about politics than people. His dangerous plans and spread of misinformation, especially his insistence that masks don’t work, would set us back in our fight against COVID.”
And in case you missed it, here’s a recap on what Forest said today:
Dan Forest: “So there are many reasons to move forward with opening the schools and it needs to happen now, not January 1, not after election day, it needs to happen now.”
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Dan Forest: “Well when I’m governor I would lift the mask mandate for the state.”
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Michael Hyland, CBS 17: “Should kids or teachers have to wear masks in schools?”
Dan Forest: “I don’t think so, no, I don’t think there’s any science that backs that up.”
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Jonah Kaplan, ABC 11: “If you get this from the White House coronavirus coordinator, and it says “identify which groups are not wearing face-coverings and target educational efforts to them” would you bring that to schools in a reopening plan?”
Dan Forest: “No.”
Dawn Vaughan, News and Observer: “Do you think the state should have any sort of guidelines for reopening?”
Dan Forest: “Should the state?”
Dawn Vaughan: “Around COVID–”
Dan Forest: “No. I don’t think so. Open the schools.”
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