LANSING, Mich. (WWJ) -- With the new school year right around the corner, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has updated its recommendations for schools as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Michigan and across the country.
The guidance is in line with current recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, calling for students and staff at K-12 schools to wear masks while indoors, regardless of vaccination status. MDHHS is also encouraging school buildings to be well-ventilated.
The CDC also recommends schools maintain at least three feet of physical distance between students and staff.
Decisions will be left to local school boards and administrators, since the guidelines are a recommendation, not a statewide order from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's administration.
MDHHS updated the recommendations Wednesday to “prevent transmission of COVID-19 within school buildings, reduce disruptions to in-person learning and help protect vulnerable individuals and individuals who are not fully vaccinated.”
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"We are committed to ensuring Michigan students and educators are safe in the classroom, including those who may not yet be vaccinated," said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at MDHHS, per a press release. "MDHHS is issuing this guidance to help protect Michiganders of all ages. We continue to urge all eligible residents to get the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible as it is our best defense against the virus and the way we are going to end this pandemic."
Peter Spadafore with the Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators tells WWJ’s Zach Clark guidelines are a good place to start, but they have to be actionable.
“Many of them are things that we have been able to do over the course of the last 18 or so months. We’re going to see a lot of local decision making, and we’re going to lean into the advice from our local health department officials as we assess risks,” Spadafore said.
Among the key strategies for keeping schools safe this fall from the CDC and MDHHS are promoting vaccination against COVID-19 for eligible staff and students, recommending universal indoor masking for all educators, staff, students and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status and maintaining at least three feet of physical distance between students within classrooms.
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