DETROIT – COVID protocols vary between school districts across Metro Detroit.
The Detroit International Academy for Young Women on the city’s east side requires temperature checks before someone is allowed to enter. Temperature checks are required at all of the schools within the Detroit Public Schools Community District.
Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti gave Local 4 a preview of COVID safety protocols ahead of the fall semester. So far 70% of teachers and staff have been vaccinated. He said even after he contracted COVID, he was still reluctant to get vaccinated. He said after researching the vaccine he decided to get it.
He acknowledged that while he personally struggles with the idea of vaccine mandates for teachers and staffers, he has alerted the Detroit Federation of Teachers that he’s considering it.
Read: Tracking Michigan school districts, colleges requiring masks for 2021-2022 school year
In the meantime, there is a universal mask mandate inside all school buildings for teachers, students and staffers regardless of vaccine status.
The district is working out the logistics for weekly COVID testing for everybody. It’s expected to cost around $10 million with around 70,000 COVID tests each week.
The district has also hired a company to do weekly walkthroughs to check all safety protocols as an independent entity and do a written report.
Read: Continuous education coverage