The debate over COVID safety protocols in schools intensified in recent weeks, with some parents arguing their children should not be forced to wear masks, and others demanding that education officials mandate face coverings.
Now the Michigan Health and Human Services Department is strongly recommending that students, staff, and visitors wear masks inside school buildings, and stay at least three feet away from each other in classrooms.
Michigan health officials say schools should also promote the use of vaccines as a way to combat COVID-19 in the midst of a particularly vulnerable population.
They note that many students age 12 and older in the state have not been inoculated against the virus, and younger children are not yet eligible to receive the vaccine.