LANSING, Mich. – The vice president of the State Board of Education and Superintendent is calling on Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration to issue a mask mandate for schools.
In a letter to Michigan Department of Health of Human Services (MDHHS) Director Elizabeth Hertel, board vice president Pamela Pugh -- Democrat from Saginaw -- implored Hertel to issue a mask mandate before outbreaks send kids back to remote learning.
“We know that these people know the right things to do, and public health is about prevention. Public health is not about waiting to see what happens,” Pugh said.
Whitmer agrees on masks but remains steadfast in leaving it up to each school district.
However, Pugh believes the governor is making a political decision to not step in.
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Parent groups push for Michigan mask mandate inside schools
A coalition of parent groups on Wednesday urged Michigan’s health department to require indoor masking at all schools to curb the coronavirus and vowed to combat politicians who oppose such mandates.
The Michigan Parents Alliance for Safe Schools includes pro-mask groups from a dozen counties — seven with school mask mandates and five without.
“Right now you’ve got about 60% of Michigan’s kids covered. What about the other 40%? We’re going to keep fighting for them,” said Emily Mellits, a parent of two school-age kids in Macomb County. It is Michigan’s third-most populated county and — unlike most large counties and many small ones — does not require face coverings, leaving it to schools to decide.