Michigan Governor Whitmer has signed a new executive order that requires face coverings to be worn in all child-care centers, camps, and expands on mask usage for school buses and classrooms.

Executive Order 2020-164 requires all staff and children ages 2 and up to wear a face-covering on a school bus or other transportation. Additionally, all staff and children ages 4 and up must wear a face-covering in all indoor common spaces. All staff and all children 12 and older are required to wear a face-covering when in classrooms, homes, cabins, or similar indoor small-group settings. The governor also strongly encourages that all children ages 2 and up wear face coverings when indoors. These rules align with the existing rules on face coverings that already apply to PreK-12 schools across Michigan.

If a child-care center is located in a region in Phase 5 of the MI Safe Start Plan, face coverings are not required but are still strongly recommended.

Furthermore, face coverings are not required for any child who cannot medically tolerate it, during mealtime, while swimming, during high-intensity activities, outside while physically distanced, or if a child is under the age of 2.

Governor Whitmer says that Michigan has seen COVID-19 outbreaks at these locations, adding to the mounting evidence that children can contract and spread the virus. By requiring face coverings, child-care centers and camps can remain open while keeping children and staff members safe.

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