Officials announced Thursday that a mask mandate across the Detroit Public Schools Community District could likely end after spring break.
Superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District Dr. Nikolai Vitti appeared at the COVID313 Virtual Town Hall, where he hinted at removing the mandate.
“We are one of the few districts that continue to mask,” Vitti admitted. Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services and Detroit’s Wayne County dropped their mask mandates in mid-February.
BIG-CITY TEACHERS UNIONS BUCK CDC, DEMAND SCHOOLS KEEP MASK MANDATES
LIVE NOW @Dr_Vitti Supt. of @Detroitk12 shares new #COVID protocols for schools – COVID313 Town Hall.
Ask your questions: https://t.co/9GDoV8fxKF pic.twitter.com/ipIIW7CTy1
— detroitpublictv (@detroitpublictv) March 10, 2022
“We’re doing that because in partnership with the Detroit Health Department, they’re still concerned with low vaccination rates,” Vitti said. “But there is a likely path to us not wearing masks after spring break.”
Wayne County has 73.93% of its population vaccinated. The city itself has only had 1,275 confirmed COVID-19 cases since Feb 8.
“The Detroit Public Schools system will begin administering — school-based health clinics are now going to be providing vaccines directly in their clinics,” Detroit Parent Network CEO Jametta Yvonne Lilly announced during the town hall. “The clinics will also provide testing.”
“We can trust our schools to be the place where we all get well,” Lilly said.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
In an attempt to prevent a surge in cases, the district will implement a “test at home process” before students return to class after spring break. The district reportedly saw a surge this time last year, according to Vitti.
