'Don't be the reason schools are interrupted': Education Secretary SLAMS Gov. DeSantis AND Texas for banning masks in classrooms and hints there could be MORE closures if mandate war goes on

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on Thursday told the governors of Texas and Florida not to be the reason schools are interrupted after they refused to support a CDC recommendation for face masks in classrooms.

'Don't be the reason why schools are interrupted. Our students have suffered enough,' Cardona said when asked his message for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

'Politics doesn't have a role in this. Educators know what to do,' he added. 

DeSantis threatened to withhold funds from Florida school districts if they mandate that students wear face coverings. He said the new CDC recommendations for masks in classrooms 'lacks' scientific justification. But several Florida school districts said they would require students to mask-up anyway.

Abbott also said there would be no face mask requirements for Texas school children.

The education secretary also warned there could be more closures if the war over face masks in schools continues.

'I'm worried that the decisions that are being made, that are not putting students at the center and student health and safety at the center, is going to be why schools may be disrupted. We know what to do,' he said. 

'We know what works, we have to keep our students safe. We have to keep our educators safe.'

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona told the governors of Texas and Florida to not be the reason schools are interrupted

The White House has doubled down on blaming the two Republican governors for the rising rates of coronavirus infections in their state.

President Joe Biden had asked DeSantis and Abbott to 'get out of the way' of restrictions as COVID cases are on the rise. And DeSantis snapped back: 'Why don't you do your job?'

The war of words escalated on Thursday as White House officials followed Biden's lead in bashing Florida and Texas.  

White House press secretary Jen Psaki called out DeSantis for 'partisan name calling'  during a national pandemic.

'We're here to state the facts. Frankly, our view is that this is too serious, deadly serious, to be doing partisan name calling. That's what we're not doing here. We're focused on providing public health data information to the people of Florida, to make sure they understand what steps they should be taking, even if those are not steps taken at the top of the leadership in that state,' she said. 

At the White House COVID briefing on Thursday, response coordinator Jeff Zients noted Florida and Texas have accounted for one-third of new cases in the nation.

'Over the past seven days Florida and Texas have accounted for about one-third of new cases and more than one-third of new hospitalizations,' Zients noted. 'States with some of the lowest vaccination rates account for about half of new cases and hospitalizations in the past week, despite making up less than a quarter of the US population.'

White House COVID response coordinator Jeff Zients noted Florida and Texas have accounted for one-third of new cases in the nation

He also praised six Southern states -  Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Mississippi - for seeing a rise in vaccination rates. 

Zients also noted the administration was pushing for new action on vaccine requirements, including supporting private businesses that have vaccine mandates for employees. 

'Businesses know vaccinations are a way to keep their workers and customers safe and to keep their doors open. And today, Yelp is announcing a new feature that allows consumers to search for businesses with fully vaccinated workers, workers or businesses that require proof of vaccinations to enter the business,' he said. 

'We support these vaccination requirements to protect workers, communities and the country,' he added. 

His comments come after  DeSantis furiously attacked Biden on Wednesday after the president's sharp remarks on his and Abbott's refusal to embrace mask requirements as COVID numbers surge.

DeSantis complained that Biden was trying to 'single out Florida,' after the state broke its own record for COVID-19 hospitalizations, and attempted to shift the focus to the president's handling of a surge in apprehensions at the southern border.

'Why don't you do your job? Why don't you get this border secure?' DeSantis angrily told Biden, in a press conference on Wednesday. 

'And until you do that I don't want to hear a blip about COVID from you.'

Florida set an all-time record for COVID hospitalizations on Tuesday, with 11,515 hospitalized in one day. 

The previous day also saw a record 10,389 hospitalizations, outpacing its previous peak on July 23, 2020, when there were 10,170 hospitalizations.

'Joe Biden has taken to himself to try to single out Florida over COVID,' said DeSantis. 

'This is a guy who ran saying he was going to shut down the virus. What he's done is imported the virus from around the world with a wide open southern border.'

President Biden asked governors limiting COVID restrictions to 'get out of the way' - targeting Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas

Florida is averaging 27,681 cases per day, a 342% increase from the 6,492 average cases reported two weeks ago . COVID-19 hospitalizations also reached a record high with 11,515, breaking the previous record of 10, 207 set on Monday

The number of people who said the US is moving in a favorable direction with the pandemic has also fallen as cases surged over July

'We can either have a free society or we can have a biomedical security state. 

'And I can tell you, Florida, we're a free state. People are going to be free to choose.' 

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, urged DeSantis to do more to help Florida's COVID battle.

'Twenty three per cent of new COVID hospitalizations in the U.S are in Florida, and their hospitals are being overwhelmed again,' she said on Twitter. 

'We are doing everything we can to help the people of FL, and they're stepping up by getting vaccinated – we hope @GovRonDeSantis joins us in this fight.'  

Marco Rubio, senator for Florida, tweeted: 'You want to help #Florida?

'Stop sparking fights over mask mandates & pushing contradictory courses of action. 

'Thankfully vaccinations are up. 

'But that's in spite, not because of the Biden Administration.' 

Biden criticized Florida and Texas for barring schools and local governments from imposing mask mandates. 

'They should free people to do the right thing, such as allowing teachers to ask students to wear masks, he continued.

'I say to these governors, please help.

'But if you're not going to help at least get out of the way of the people who are trying to do the right thing. Use your power to save lives.'