OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – On Tuesday, the Oakland County Health Division issued a universal mask mandate for all students from preschool through 12th grade.
The emergency health order requires masks in daycares and elementary, middle, high, and vocational schools regardless of vaccination status to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The order aligns with recent guidance from the Michigan Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics to ensure children, teachers, and staff are able to begin the school year safely.
This order comes on the heels of Oakland County returning to an indoor mask requirement for all employees last week regardless of vaccination status.
“Our top priority is keeping students in school for in-person learning. Masking is one of the best defenses against increased transmission of COVID and higher hospitalization rates among kids,” Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter said. “This order allows teachers to get back to educating our students and focusing on their success.”
The new health order applies to more than 200,000 students and includes public school districts and charter schools.
That mandate will be in place until the county is at a moderate level of transmission for COVID-19. You can read the the entire order below.
The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 933,394 as of Monday, including 20,123 deaths, state officials report.
Monday’s update includes a total of 3,920 new cases and 10 additional deaths over a three-day period — an average of about 1,306.7 cases per day. Of the 10 deaths announced Monday, five were identified during a Vital Records review.
Read more: Michigan COVID: Here’s what to know Aug. 24, 2021
Stay with Local 4 News and ClickOnDetroit as this story continues to develop.
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