Michigan - Coronavirus COVID-19

[BetteDavisEyes]

CDC guidance: All but 2 Michigan counties should mask up (detroitnews.com)

COVID-19 transmission is high enough in all but two of Michigan's 83 counties that an overwhelming majority of Michigan residents should be wearing masks while in public under federal guidelines, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

People who live in areas where there are "high" or "substantial" number of COVID-19 cases should wear masks in public indoors, or outdoors if social distancing isn't possible, to prevent the spread of the delta variant.

The number of counties that meet that threshold climbed from 33 on Aug. 3, when the new CDC guidance was announced, to 81 as of Saturday, according to CDC data.

Missaukee and Roscommon Counties, which sit next to each other in the northern Lower Peninsula, are listed as having "moderate" rates of community transmission on the CDC's COVID-19 Tracker. No Michigan counties have a "low" rate of transmission...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Oakland University to mandate COVID-19 vaccine for students, staff (detroitnews.com)

Oakland University announced Monday that it will require all students, faculty and staff on campus to get a COVID-19 vaccine, expanding its previous policy that only required students living in dormitories to be vaccinated.

The timing of the announcement comes amid a local and national rise in COVID-19 infection rates and as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted full approval for the Pfizer vaccine, OU President Ora Pescovitz wrote in a letter to the campus community.

In an interview with The Detroit News, Pescovitz said that university officials issued the mandate because they are concerned that the campus will not reach a vaccination rate of 85% to 90% through education and vaccine incentives alone, numbers that are needed to reach herd immunity. Classes begin Sept. 2...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

The local Board of Education on which DH served for 7.5 years will have a special meeting tonight to discuss Covid mitigations and mask protocols for Fall 2021. Board meetings are virtual and can be accessed via Zoom. Citizens will have an opportunity to address the Board. Should be interesting.

Quoting myself for an update on last night's BOE meeting. DH and I logged on to Zoom and watched the entire meeting that lasted four hours. Meeting began with Superintendent's report with charts, documents, and graphs about Covid and the outbreaks of Delta variant. Board members asked follow-up questions for clarification on some issues. Superintendent's report lasted about an hour before citizens in the queue were invited to speak - three minute time limit. There were at least 40 citizens wanting to comment. Board took a 10-minute break after about one hour before comments resumed. Many impassioned pleas for and against mask-wearing in schools.

When citizen comments concluded, Board members discussed issues on both sides of a mask mandate before voting unanimously to adopt a resolution requiring students and teachers to wear masks indoors. Based on the citizen comments last night, there will be a lot of unhappy parents who did not want their children to wear masks in school. Some threatened to pull their children out of the district. Good luck trying to enroll in a private or parochial school at this late date.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Plymouth-Canton Community Schools requiring face masks indoors (clickondetroit.com)

PLYMOUTH, Mich. – Face masks will be required to be worn inside all Plymouth-Canton Community Schools district buildings until at least Oct. 31, 2021.

The district announced Tuesday that beginning Thursday, Aug. 26, it will require all students, staff, volunteers and visitors in Pre-K through 12th grade and post-secondary programs to wear masks, while indoors, regardless of vaccination status...

Dearborn Public Schools to continue requiring face masks indoors (clickondetroit.com)

Face masks will be required to be worn inside all Dearborn Public Schools buildings at least until Oct. 1, 2021.

Dearborn Public Schools students, staff and visitors will be required to wear face masks while inside any building through at least Oct. 1, according to the district’s back to school plan. While many school districts across Michigan debate mask mandates, Dearborn Public Schools officials say their indoor mask mandate has been in effect since September of last year, and hasn’t changed...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Lansing Catholic school set to appeal ruling on school mask requirements (detroitnews.com)

A Lansing Catholic school will ask for the full Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to consider its case after a divided three judge panel denied the school's request to stop Michigan's school mask mandate.

Resurrection School will ask for an "en banc" hearing — one before all of the appellate judges and not just a select panel — after a Sixth Circuit panel ruled 2-1 against the school in a ruling released Monday.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel celebrated the decision Tuesday as proof that the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services was "well within its jurisdiction" when it issued a school mask mandate last school year.

“As science has proven and now the Sixth Circuit agrees, enacting a mask mandate in the manner in which MDHHS did so does not violate one’s rights — it is a measure by which we can better protect public health," Nessel said in a statement...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

***Breaking News*** I predicted that things were going to get ugly when schools reopened in Oakland County (where I live). One by one, school districts are deciding to implement mask mandates in schools with parents on one side of the issue or the other. Now, it looks like there is a county-wide mandate for schools to require masks when the school year commences. It's not going to be pretty: Parents have taken a firm stance on whether or not they want their children to wear masks in school.

Michigan county to require masks for more than 200,000 students (detroitnews.com)

Oakland County health officials are issuing a universal mask mandate Tuesday evening for all preschool through 12th-grade students who attend schools in Oakland County, two superintendents told The Detroit News.

The requirement, to be issued by the Oakland County Health Division in consultation with local superintendents, applies to about 210,000 students across 28 public school districts and 22 charter schools academies.

The mandate will remain in place until the county is at a moderate level of transmission for COVID-19, the officials said. Oakland County is currently in substantial transmission mode, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Of the 28 local districts in Oakland County, nine already have mask mandates in place, nine have announced mask optional policies and 10 districts were undetermined...

Oakland County issues emergency health order requiring masks in schools (clickondetroit.com)

OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – On Tuesday, the Oakland County Health Division issued a universal mask mandate for all students from preschool through 12th grade.

The emergency health order requires masks in daycares and elementary, middle, high, and vocational schools regardless of vaccination status to prevent the spread of COVID-19...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Eastern Michigan University requires weekly COVID testing for non-vaccinated students on campus (clickondetroit.com)

YPSILANTI, Mich. – Eastern Michigan University announced its Students Stay Safe program Tuesday, which aims to minimize potential exposure to coronavirus among students, staff and faculty.

Starting Monday, the program requires all students that attend on-campus classes who are not vaccinated against COVID to be tested weekly...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Oakland County parents protest health department's school mask mandate (detroitnews.com)

Pontiac — Protestors angry over a countywide mask mandate for K-12 schools gathered outside the Oakland County Health Division Wednesday morning demanding a choice over whether their children wear masks in schools.

Parents carried signs demanding freedom from an emergency order approved Tuesday by Oakland County health officials who are requiring masks for students and staff in all preschools and K-12 public schools regardless of vaccination status.

The emergency health order will impact about 210,000 students across 28 public school districts and 22 charter schools academies. The order also applies to daycare centers and vocational schools...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Ford again delays return to office, adds new short-term remote option (detroitnews.com)

Nearly a year and a half since the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a massive shift to remote work and amid another resurgence of the virus, Ford Motor Co. on Wednesday said it is once again pushing back its return-to-office plans — and introducing even more flexibility into its work-from-home policies.

The Dearborn automaker informed thousands of salaried employees Wednesday that they should not expect to return to campuses until at least January. The change is due in part to the uptick in key COVID-19 metrics amid the spread of the highly-contagious delta variant and lagging vaccination rates in parts of the U.S. and around the world...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Metro Detroit parents are angry as local officials decide whether to mask up students (detroitnews.com)

The absence of a statewide mask mandate for Michigan's K-12 schools has prompted several county health departments to issue mandates of their own, turning community public health officials into pariahs or saviors in the growing controversy over kids, masks and COVID-19.

On Wednesday, opposing practices by health officials in neighboring Metro Detroit counties prompted a protest backlash — one over Oakland County's mask mandate and another over the lack of one in Macomb County.

In Oakland County, more than 150 parents and students angry over a county mandate implemented Tuesday that masks must be worn in schools regardless of vaccination status announcedthey are pushing back against the policy. As they demonstrated outside county offices in Pontiac, they vowed to send their children into schools without masks, turn to homeschooling or file a lawsuit in a bid to block the emergency health order issued...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Earlier this summer (July 21), the Archdiocese of Detroit announced that masks would not be required in Catholic schools. The protocols have changed with the implementation of mask mandates in counties within the Archdiocese. Parents who thought they could escape mask mandates by enrolling their children in parochial or private schools are going to be disappointed.

PreK-12 Health and Safety Guidance for the 2021-2022 School Year for Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Detroit - Detroit Catholic Schools

This document shall serve as the health and safety guidance for all Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Detroit (AOD) for the 2021-2022 school year. This guidance is based upon our belief that all students deserve equal access to in-person learning and is guided by our increased understanding of COVID-19: its limited spread in our highly mitigated school settings, current national and local data and research, and increased vaccination rates. Preschool and Latchkey programs that operate in licensed facilities are required to adhere to LARA regulations. The guidance provided in this document may be updated at any time if revisions are made to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) guidance for schools. Note: PreK-12 schools may develop and adopt policies that are stricter than LARA, MDHHS, or AOD guidelines...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Livonia Public Schools is requiring masks for all students pre-K through 6th grade (clickondetroit.com)

Livonia district is strongly recommending mask wearing for students in grades 7-12

LIVONIA, Mich. – The Livonia Public Schools district is requiring masks be worn in schools by students in pre-K through 6th grade as the fall semester gets underway.

Livonia joins a growing list of southeastern Michigan school districts that have decided to start the 2021-22 school calendar with a mask mandate for children under 12 years old.

The district said it is not requiring masks for children in grades above 6th because those students (12 and up) are able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at this stage in the pandemic. However, the district is strongly recommending mask wearing for students in grades 7-12...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Wayne County health officials expected to issue school COVID guidance (clickondetroit.com)

County considering sweeping mask mandate at schools this fall

DETROIT – School districts in Wayne County are waiting Friday to receive COVID-19 related guidance from county officials, particularly in regards to a face mask policy.

County health officials are set to update their guidance for schools on Friday as students prepare to return to classrooms this fall amid the ongoing pandemic...

Wayne County expected to issue COVID-19 guidance to schools on Friday (detroitnews.com)

Wayne County health officials are expected to issue COVID-19 guidance to schools on Friday.

“The health and safety of the students in Wayne County is our top priority as we welcome them back to school this year," said Daveda Colbert, superintendent at the Wayne Regional Educational Service Agencies, or RESA, in a statement.

RESA, which provides services and support to more than 30 districts in the county, has been in ongoing conversations with the county health division throughout the pandemic about safety mitigation measures, she said...

 

[MrX]

Has Whitmer been banned from imposing and state-wide restrictions? Looks like all of the usual suspects are clamping down. Pritzker is masking Illinois, and Brown even added an outdoor mandate in Oregon. That stuff is illegal here in Arizona, which is glorious - I can't imagine having to go through all of that again.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Has Whitmer been banned from imposing and state-wide restrictions? Looks like all of the usual suspects are clamping down. Pritzker is masking Illinois, and Brown even added an outdoor mandate in Oregon. That stuff is illegal here in Arizona, which is glorious - I can't imagine having to go through all of that again.

Yes, Governor Whitmer was admonished for imposing mask mandates, business closings, lockdowns, etc. that were determined to be in violation of some Michigan laws. In recent weeks, she has kept mum on anything related to Covid, and I don't anticipate her getting further involved. Whitmer has left mask mandates and other Covid protocols in the hands of local schools/school districts and county health officials.

Michigan Supreme Court rules Whitmer lacks COVID-19 emergency powers | Bridge Michigan

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

***Breaking News*** It's official.

Wayne County issues mask mandate for all schools this fall (clickondetroit.com)

All Wayne County schools must enforce face mask mandate under new order

Wayne County imposes mask mandate for K-12 students, staff (detroitnews.com)

Wayne County health officials on Friday issued an order mandating local school districts require students and school staff to wear a face mask while in school and during school-sponsored indoor events, regardless of vaccination status.

The order takes effect immediately and also applies to visitors at public, private and parochial educational settings, including daycare centers, throughout Wayne County...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Reporter punched in face while covering anti-mask event near Traverse City (clickondetroit.com)

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – A newspaper reporter said he was punched in the face while covering an anti-mask event near Traverse City.

The Grand Traverse County sheriff's office is investigating...

Sadly, I think we will see a lot of these types of incidents as schools across Michigan reopen for in-person learning over the next two weeks.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

How Oakland University students are adjusting to university’s COVID vaccine mandate (clickondetroit.com)

First dose of COVID vaccine must be completed by Sept. 3

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. – It’s the beginning of a new chapter for students at Oakland University. Many are moving on campus Saturday and will resume in-person learning soon.

Brendley Carey is a Sophomore at Oakland University. His freshman year was anything but normal, especially being a college student during the pandemic. Carey said he’s used to wearing a mask now.

But this week, the university is stepping things up a notch. The school is requiring all students, faculty and staff members to be vaccinated...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Michigan State employee sues university over vaccine mandate (detroitnews.com)

A Michigan State University employee is challenging the school's mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy, calling it unconstitutional in a federal lawsuit filed last week.

Jeanna Norris, a 37-year-old MSU administrative associate and fiscal officer, is suing President Samuel Stanley and the Board of Trustees, arguing that she has natural immunity after recovering from COVID-19 late last year. Her immunoligist, Hooman Noorchashm, has advised her that it is medically unnecessary to undergo a vaccination, the lawsuit said.

"If Plaintiff follows her doctor’s advice and elects not to take the vaccine, she faces adverse disciplinary consequences," according to the suit that was filed in Michigan's western division of U.S. District Court. "In short, the Directive is unmistakably coercive and cannot reasonably be considered anything other than an unlawful mandate."...

 

[ilovewings]

Immune Response From mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Is More Robust Than Natural Infection

MSU- WMU vaccine requirement challenged in Court

Four soccer players at Western Michigan University and an employee of Michigan State University are challenging their schools' Covid 19 vaccine policies, contening they are unconstitutional in new Federal lawsuits.

In a separate case, Jeanna Norris, a 37 year old MSU administrative associate and fiscal officer, sued the school's president and Board of Trustees, arguing that she has natural immunity after recovering from Covid late last year.
Her immunologist has advised her that it is medically unnecessary to undergo
a vaccination, the lawsuit has claimed.