The impassioned meeting was the latest example of clashes between local officials and community members over mask mandates as covid-19 cases spike across the country. As the more contagious delta variant spreads, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported a “substantial” increase in coronavirus cases among children nationwide, WTVD in North Carolina reported. Pediatric cases jumped to nearly 72,000 across the country late last month, up from about 39,000 in mid-July, according to the station.
