LANSING, Mich. — The mandate requiring students and teachers to wear masks in Ingham County schools and establishing quarantine procedures for those who come into contact in schools with people infected by COVID will end on Feb. 19.
County officials noted in a press release that the number of new weekly COVID cases in the county has dropped by 78 percent over the past two weeks and that a significant share of the county's school-age children - nearly 40 percent of 5 to 11 year olds and 62 percent of 12 – 15 year olds - have had at least one dose of the vaccine.
“We are at a point in this pandemic in which public health strategies will begin to shift more towards personal responsibility as we learn to live with COVID-19 long-term,” said Ingham County Health Officer Linda Vail, in a statement. “As a public health agency, we will continue to support local school districts by recommending evidence-based public health measures, educating on current guidance and practices, and making recommendations for staying safe and healthy.”
The lifting of the county-wide mandate doesn't prevent schools from putting their own policies in place. Country officials urged schools to maintain strict masking policies "especially in areas of substantial or high transmission levels of COVID-19."
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