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Family members mourn during a burial at the special section of Jombang Public Cemetery reserved for those who died of COVID-19, in Tangerang, on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021. Indonesia surpassed 100,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, a grim milestone in a country struggling with its worst pandemic wave fueled by the delta variant, amid concerns the actual figure could be much higher. Tatan Syuflana
Workers in protective gear lower a coffin of a COVID-19 victim for burial at the special section of the Pedurenan cemetery in Bekasi, West Java, Indonesia, Friday, July 30, 2021. Indonesia surpassed the grim milestone of 100,000 official COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021, as the country struggles with its worst pandemic year fueled by the delta variant, with growing concerns that the actual figure could be much higher with people also dying at home.
A Wednesday morning hearing in a legal fight over whether Phoenix Union has authority to force mask use in classrooms took less than 20 minutes and was mostly procedural.
The district thinks it can require teachers and students to cover their mouth and nose until at least late September. But even once state law barring mask mandates takes effect, there are questions if the district can be forced to comply.
“As a legal matter, we do have concerns about the enforceability of this statute,” Mary O’Grady, a lawyer for the district, told the judge in Maricopa County Superior Court.
A discussion and possible vote on masks is on the district board’s Thursday agenda.
The Osborn Elementary School District in Phoenix issued a mask mandate on Aug. 3 for their students and staff in response to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases and the more transmissible delta variant. The Osborn superintendent will work with district counsel to develop an opt-out option for parents.
After hearing from more than a dozen parents and teachers concerned about students and staff safety amidst the growing number of COVID-19 cases and the delta variant, the Phoenix Elementary School District s governing board voted to reinstate its mask mandate on Aug. 2.
The Phoenix Union High School District announced July 30 it will require all students, staff and visitors wear face coverings when schools start on Aug. 2. All 32 of the ZIP codes in the district s boundaries have high or substantial COVID-19 spread, according to the district.
SYDNEY Australia’s most populous state is reporting the worst day of its outbreak of the coronavirus delta variant, with a record 262 new local infections and five deaths from