Political Rewind: Déjà Vu As Schools Return Amid Rising Cases, Without State Guidance

Caption

In this Aug. 3, 2020, file photo, Paul Adamus, 7, waits at the bus stop for the first day of 2020-2021 school year in Dallas, Ga. A year later, schools and students are facing very similar circumstances and controversy over the COVID-19 pandemic.

Credit: Brynn Anderson, AP

Monday on Political Rewind: Officials continue to resist the establishment of statewide procedures for mitigating the possible spread of COVID-19 in schools. Cases are rising as students head back to classrooms for their first weeks of classes.

In Atlanta, public schools will begin offering vaccines to middle and high school students age 12 and older next week.

Elsewhere, a weekend gathering of Republicans at a major event in Floyd County highlighted the dominant grasp Donald Trump continues to have on the state GOP. Candidates for office echoed the false sentiment that Georgia presidential election was fraudulent, and vowed to oppose local mask mandates.

Panelists:

Dr. Karen Owen — Professor of political science, University of West Georgia

Dr. Amy Steigerwalt — Professor of political science, Georgia State University

Tia Mitchell — Washington reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution