MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – There is not a statewide face mask mandate right now in Michigan.
The debate over mask mask mandates is particularly heated in schools as children are together in classrooms for hours at a time. Some school districts require masks and others do not.
Read: Michigan health officials update COVID guidance for K-12 schools
A Macomb County family said they did everything they could to protect themselves from COVID, but the people around them didn’t and now COVID is running through their household.
The family has children in the Utica Community Schools. Since last year they have been part of a core group of parents begging Macomb County officials to mandate masks in schools. In Macomb County it’s up to the school districts to decide.
The couple’s 13-year-old son just tested positive for COVID. The couple believes the son passed it to his mother and that means a father and an 8-year-old daughter are trying to navigate distance in their own home.
Of the 21 school districts in the Macomb Intermediate School District, 12 have some degree of mask mandates though most are temporary.
Utica Community Schools released the following statement:
“Our district has consistently used a multi-layered approach to address COVID-19 and is working closely with the Macomb County Health Department. Our protocols and procedures follow the guidance of our local health department and are focused on providing our students stability and full, in-person learning through the school year. This approach has included temporary use of face coverings or remote learning in classes, grades or schools that are experiencing an increased community impact.”
The district said it has no plans to change its strategy.
Read: More education coverage