WEBVTT NOTE duration:"00:01:48.8650000" NOTE recognizability:0.985 NOTE language:en-us NOTE Confidence: 0.989060640000001 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.128 In all new tonight parents and Union NOTE Confidence: 0.989060640000001 00:00:02.128 --> 00:00:04.421 County are calling for an earnest COVID NOTE Confidence: 0.989060640000001 00:00:04.421 --> 00:00:06.407 conversation as thousands in the school NOTE Confidence: 0.989060640000001 00:00:06.470 --> 00:00:08.588 district are in quarantine and hundreds NOTE Confidence: 0.989060640000001 00:00:08.588 --> 00:00:10.555 have tested positive for the virus. NOTE Confidence: 0.989060640000001 00:00:10.555 --> 00:00:13.488 The district is one of just two in our NOTE Confidence: 0.989060640000001 00:00:13.490 --> 00:00:15.681 area with no mask mandate for students NOTE Confidence: 0.989060640000001 00:00:15.681 --> 00:00:17.960 and school leaders are set to discuss NOTE Confidence: 0.989060640000001 00:00:17.960 --> 00:00:19.874 pandemic updates at a meeting beginning NOTE Confidence: 0.989060640000001 00:00:19.933 --> 00:00:21.638 at 7:00 o'clock tomorrow night. NOTE Confidence: 0.989060640000001 00:00:21.640 --> 00:00:23.016 WCNC Charlotte's Breanna Harper NOTE Confidence: 0.989060640000001 00:00:23.016 --> 00:00:25.435 found out some parents hope a new NOTE Confidence: 0.989060640000001 00:00:25.435 --> 00:00:27.175 mask requirement will be part of NOTE Confidence: 0.98906064 00:00:27.180 --> 00:00:29.226 that dialogue. 100 school districts across NOTE Confidence: 0.98906064 00:00:29.226 --> 00:00:30.898 North Carolina currently. Require masks, NOTE Confidence: 0.98906064 00:00:30.898 --> 00:00:33.166 but Union County isn't one of them, NOTE Confidence: 0.98906064 00:00:33.170 --> 00:00:35.754 leaving many parents to wonder why a make NOTE Confidence: 0.9790292 00:00:35.760 --> 00:00:36.466 masks mandatory. NOTE Confidence: 0.9790292 00:00:36.466 --> 00:00:38.937 That's the plea from some Union County NOTE Confidence: 0.9790292 00:00:38.937 --> 00:00:40.967 parents like Alina Brown who says is NOTE Confidence: 0.9790292 00:00:40.967 --> 00:00:42.890 what's best to keep students safe. NOTE Confidence: 0.9790292 00:00:42.890 --> 00:00:45.474 At this point, it's just not an opinion. NOTE Confidence: 0.9790292 00:00:45.480 --> 00:00:46.556 It's a proven fact. NOTE Confidence: 0.9790292 00:00:46.556 --> 00:00:48.540 Last week she helped host a virtual NOTE Confidence: 0.9790292 00:00:48.540 --> 00:00:50.703 form with local doctors to address some NOTE Confidence: 0.9790292 00:00:50.703 --> 00:00:52.928 of the communities COVID concerns. NOTE Confidence: 0.9790292 00:00:52.930 --> 00:00:54.550 The Icus are full all NOTE Confidence: 0.9790292 00:00:54.550 --> 00:00:56.170 of their practices are inundated, NOTE Confidence: 0.9790292 00:00:56.170 --> 00:00:59.122 so it's just at this time we have to NOTE Confidence: 0.9790292 00:00:59.122 --> 00:01:01.740 put politics aside and. Do what's NOTE Confidence: 0.9873446 00:01:01.740 --> 00:01:03.024 best for public safety. NOTE Confidence: 0.9873446 00:01:03.024 --> 00:01:03.987 Thousands of doctors. NOTE Confidence: 0.9873446 00:01:03.990 --> 00:01:05.230 A signing this petition. NOTE Confidence: 0.9873446 00:01:05.230 --> 00:01:07.090 Calling on Governor Roy Cooper to NOTE Confidence: 0.9873446 00:01:07.146 --> 00:01:09.036 require masks in schools and help NOTE Confidence: 0.9873446 00:01:09.036 --> 00:01:10.730 keep students learning in person. NOTE Confidence: 0.9873446 00:01:10.730 --> 00:01:12.977 It was about keeping kids in school. NOTE Confidence: 0.9873446 00:01:12.980 --> 00:01:15.542 We wouldn't have close to 15% of our NOTE Confidence: 0.9873446 00:01:15.542 --> 00:01:17.468 student body in Union County quarantined. NOTE Confidence: 0.9873446 00:01:17.470 --> 00:01:19.563 Here's a look at the latest COVID NOTE Confidence: 0.9873446 00:01:19.563 --> 00:01:21.175 numbers throughout Union County schools NOTE Confidence: 0.9873446 00:01:21.175 --> 00:01:23.155 with over 300 positive cases and NOTE Confidence: 0.9873446 00:01:23.155 --> 00:01:24.850 several thousand more in quarantine, NOTE Confidence: 0.9873446 00:01:24.850 --> 00:01:26.245 many with the hope masking NOTE Confidence: 0.9873446 00:01:26.245 --> 00:01:28.390 can make more of a difference. NOTE Confidence: 0.9873446 00:01:28.390 --> 00:01:29.990 But action must be taken NOTE Confidence: 0.9873446 00:01:29.990 --> 00:01:31.270 sooner rather than later. NOTE Confidence: 0.9777677 00:01:31.570 --> 00:01:33.062 It's gonna keep happening. NOTE Confidence: 0.9777677 00:01:33.062 --> 00:01:35.490 It's not just gonna stop because we NOTE Confidence: 0.9777677 00:01:35.490 --> 00:01:37.428 want it to in tomorrow starting NOTE Confidence: 0.9777677 00:01:37.428 --> 00:01:39.775 at 5:30 just ahead of the Union NOTE Confidence: 0.9777677 00:01:39.775 --> 00:01:41.420 County School Board meeting a NOTE Confidence: 0.9777677 00:01:41.420 --> 00:01:42.976 group of concerned community NOTE Confidence: 0.9777677 00:01:42.976 --> 00:01:45.448 members say they plan to rally, NOTE Confidence: 0.9777677 00:01:45.450 --> 00:01:47.230 asking that mask be mandated. NOTE Confidence: 0.9777677 00:01:47.230 --> 00:01:48.862 Brianna Harper, WCNC Charlotte.