City of Ann Arbor: All city facilities to require face masks indoors starting Monday

ANN ARBOR – Face masks will be required to enter all city of Ann Arbor facilities starting on Monday, the city has announced.

The measure comes as Washtenaw County this week reached a “substantial” level of community COVID transmission, according to an index by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The city’s announcement came the same day the Washtenaw County Health Department issued an advisory recommending everyone wear face masks in indoor public settings regardless of vaccination status.

“The city made a policy after the CDC and after Washtenaw County recommendations to require masks at all city facilities for staff, members of the public and contractors in shared spaces,” said Ann Arbor Parks & Recreation assistant unit manager Josh Landefeld.

For the most part, the mandate will only slightly affect Parks & Recreation activities since they largely take place outdoors, said Landefeld.

“At the pools, canoe liveries and golf courses, you’re outside so you don’t necessarily have to have a mask on,” said Landefeld. “(But) when you’re coming in for any transactions whether that be signing in at pools or paying for something at the golf courses, that’s where the mask would be required.”

He said that the city is closely monitoring local cases and will continue to provide updates should the situation change.