As of today, the Macomb County COVID-19 positivity rate is higher than when students started school last September. In Texas and Florida, hospitalizations of children with Covid-19 are soaring. 

The CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services have all recommended universal masking for students in schools, regardless of vaccination status. To ignore recommendations from the leading health experts in the country would be foolish and dangerous. Universities, the automotive industry, and many businesses are all back to requiring masks. These places all serve populations that are eligible to be vaccinated, and yet continue to require masks to help mitigate the spread of the delta variant/COVID-19. Being that they are not yet eligible for vaccination, our children are the most vulnerable population at this time. To remove the one effective mitigation strategy to protect them, is unacceptable. 

Masks are a proven mitigation strategy to reduce the spread of Covid-19. If we don’t utilize masks, we can expect constant quarantines or even a full shut down. 

While there are a lot of angry voices shouting about “freedoms” and spreading misinformation about the dangers of masks, we ask you to stand up for the safety of all of our children. Keep schools open and safe for those of us willing to do what’s best for staff, students, and the community. Let parents who refuse to do what’s best for the collective good keep their children home, instead of the other way around. It’s time to stand up to the misinformation and politicization of this virus. We’re quickly approaching the two year mark of the virus appearing. If people are not willing to help combat the virus, then they can stay home and keep their children home. The delta variant is surging because of the very people who refuse to mask or vaccinate. Please stand up for our children and protect them so they can be in school safely, where they belong.