Ann Arbor requiring masks among returning students, staff for two weeks

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (FOX 2) - Ann Arbor Public Schools will require masks be worn by students and staff entering buildings in the district for the first two weeks of class following the end of winter break.

The district said from Jan. 9-20, they'll operate with an updated health code that seeks to reduce the spread of respiratory illness like RSV and the flu. COVID-19 also remains a pressing concern among health officials.

The policy change is meant to prioritize in-school learning and intended to keep kids from being sent home sick, a release from the superintendent said this weekend. 

Masking up, while no longer mandatory following scaled back restrictions from the pandemic, is still believed to be a critical tool to slow the spread of viruses in the winter. It could also become a more common form of prevention and a pandemic-era practice that won't ever disappear. 

In Michigan, Close to 10,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported over the past week, according to the CDC. The test positivity rate is also hovering between 10% and 14%. All of Metro Detroit are reporting a medium amount of transmission. 

The threat of illness is what prompted the policy change from Ann Arbor's school district since it could lead to disruption for both learning in class and at home. 

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The release was sent by Superintendent Jeanice Kerr Swift on Jan. 8.