The state of Michigan is now requiring two-, three-, and four-year-old children to wear masks in all public places.
The updated mask mandate took effect Monday. In early April the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services added the requirement for children and extended their COVID-19 order in response to skyrocketing case levels.
A pediatrician based in West Bloomfield Township, an upscale suburb of Detroit, told WZZM 13 that the so-called “UK variant” and increase in vaccinations have been making the virus “a lot more contagious.”
“You know, the data recently has shown an increase in children. As more adults are getting vaccinated and as this UK variant is spreading in the state, it’s a lot more contagious,” said Dr. Matthew Hornik. “So, yes, there still is a small amount of spread in schools and daycares. But, anything we can do to help kind of mitigate that spread even further is going to help.”
Hornik also claimed “this isn’t an out of the blue, left-field kind of a thing” because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended children ages two and up to wear masks since last fall.
Michigan’s COVID infections peaked in mid-April at around 10,000 confirmed new cases. Only 5,000 new cases were recorded on Saturday, April 24.
In response to the recent spike, Governor Gretchen Whitmer made a point of choosing not to lock down her state for the third time, after facing blowback for enforcing some of the most draconian restrictions in the nation. Instead, Whitmer is now emphasizing “voluntary compliance.” She recommended a two-week pause on indoor dining, youth sports, and face-to-face classes.
Because the lockdowns worked so well last time…
