SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — As South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem pushes schools to reopen, a fundraising email from her says she is discouraging school districts from requiring masks and telling parents they should send their kids to school without them.
The Republican governor made the argument for schools reopening last week. She says that research indicates the health risks are low for children. She has repeatedly cast doubt on the efficacy of wearing masks to prevent COVID-19 infections. In her fundraising email, she suggested that children who wear masks may actually increase their rates of infection.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, “There is increasing evidence that cloth face coverings help prevent” the spread of COVID-19.
South Dakota’s three largest hospital systems — Sanford, Avera and Monument Health — all have said that masks help slow the spread of COVID-19. The South Dakota State Medical Association is urging school boards to require masks this fall
