Masks now sometimes optional indoors for MCS student athletes and performers

Manchester Community Schools' superintendent Dr. Brad Bezeau announced last Monday that because of an update by the Washtenaw County Health Department (WCHD), the school district is now exempting students and teachers/coaches from masking requirements for sports and performing arts practices, games/meets, and performances outside of school hours while they are in the gym or auditorium.

Up until this point, the highly contentious county-wide masking mandate which went into effect the second week of school required masks universally for all indoor activities held in school buildings, including sports and performing arts. With this update, the final decisions about individual school district exemptions to the mask order will be made by the head administrator (in Manchester's case, the superintendent) and will apply to the entire school community for extracurricular sports and performing arts.

While Dr. Bezeau’s decision is as expansive as allowed, because of restrictions spelled out in the update by the WCHD, the mask exemption does not apply to event spectators and attendees and they will continue to be required to wear a facial covering inside of all school buildings. Additionally, these students and staff must still wear a facial covering in locker rooms, weight rooms, performing arts practice rooms, and on school buses or other school transportation. The exemption does not apply to classroom activities and during the school day in any of the buildings, including physical education and music.

Susan Ringler-Cerniglia of WCHD explained how the update came about. "Generally, the updated guidance is the result of discussion/partnership between area schools and the Health Department," she said. "There have been a number of questions about masks in specific situations, safety concerns, or allowances to remove briefly during performances, etc. This gives districts/schools some limited flexibility to address those situations individually.”

Asked how this decision was made for our district and if it was related to health metrics, enforcement difficulties, or other factors, Bezeau stated, "We have seen a decrease in number of positive cases and close contact students and staff, so we did use these health metrics in making our decision surrounding these mask exemptions.”

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.