Oakland County said the increase in cases is the reason it’s mandating masks at all K-12 schools. It’s decision not everyone is happy with.
There was a large crowd outside government buildings in the county. Many of the parents are against the new mask mandate that was put into place. They say they want to be allowed to make that choice on their own, meanwhile leaders say this is the best thing for everyone.
“We want to keep our kids safe and in the classroom, that’s the key,” says Oakland County Executive David Coulter.
Read: Macomb County parents urge leaders to mandate masks in schools
Coulter is standing firm behind the decision to require everyone to wear masks in schools. On Tuesday, the health officer of Oakland County Health Division announced the mask mandate.
“We did that very simply, basically because our numbers are going up with COVID numbers. Our transmission is now high based on the CDC and high transmission levels,” Coulter says. “We know that masks and vaccines are the two biggest things that we have, to protect our kids and so we’re requiring those masks.”
On Wednesday, parents protested the mandate.
“It’s really sickening to have other people in the government to decide what’s right for us and our family,” says Stephen McKay.
“Our kids deserve our voices and everybody needs to hear every angle of it. These kids are suffering in the social setting,” says Tricia Auten.
Coulter says the mandate is in effect until the numbers start to go down.