Gretchen Whitmer (Photo: State of Michigan)
Has Gov. Grechen Whitmer lost her stomach for Covid restrictions? Could the upcoming 2022 election make a politically controversial stance too risky?
Detroit Free Press columnist Nancy Kaffer wants to know why Whitmer won't impose a mask mandate for school children:
What is Gov. Gretchen Whitmer waiting for?
There is consensus across the medical community in favor of universal masking in k-12 schools — particularly schools that serve children under 12, too young to be vaccinated. No credible medical expert has suggested otherwise.
Over the course of the pandemic, much of what we know about Covid-19 has changed, but evidence that masks prevent transmission of the virus has been settled since spring of last year.
The state health department last week strongly recommended masks in schools "to keep kids, staff and families safe ... because many students have yet to be vaccinated and students under age 12 are not yet eligible." Michigan's chief medical executive, Joneigh Khaldun, advised Whitmer to implement a k-12 a mask mandate, Kaffer notes.
Yet weeks from the start of another school year, Michigan schools are in chaos.
And every superintendent I've spoken to wants Whitmer to fix this.
Related:
Health over politics: 4 West Michigan counties lead the way on school mask mandates
