[ad_1]
MARQUETTE — With 62 students and 12 staff members testing positive for COVID-19 in the past 10 days as of Sunday, Munising Public Schools announced that it is reinstating its universal masking policy.
The policy went into effect Monday.
MPS said that all students and staff will be required to wear a mask in school. MPS will continue to monitor COVID numbers and will remove the masking requirement when it is safe to do so.
Mask information clarified
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its webpage at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/types-of-masks.html, which describes the types of masks and respirators used to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
The CDC indicated that masking is a critical public health tool to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and it is important to remember that any mask is better than no mask. CDC continues to recommend that people wear the most protective mask they can that fits well, and one that they will wear consistently.
The updated page lays out the protection provided by available masks and respirators, noting that some provide better protection than others. These updates on the webpage reflect the science on masking — including what the CDC has learned in the past two years — and will provide people the information to improve how well their masks or respirators protect them.
According to the CDC, masks and respirators, including specialized filtering masks such as N95s, can provide different levels of protection depending on the type of mask and how they are used.
Loosely woven cloth products provide the least protection, layered finely woven products offer more protection, well-fitting disposable surgical masks and KN95s offer even more protection, and well-fitting respirators approved by the National Institute for Safety and Health, including N95s, offer the highest level of protection.
The CDC also stressed the importance of a good fit. When choosing a mask, individuals should look at how well it fits, noting that gaps can let air with respiratory droplets leak in and out around the edges of the mask.
Gaps can be caused by choosing the wrong size or type of mask and when a mask is worn with facial hair, it said. It also is important to check that the mask fits snugly over the nose, mouth and chin.
The CDC said it would continue to share the science of masking as more information becomes available.
Variant found in western U.P.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has notified the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department that the MDHHS Bureau of Laboratories has identified the COVID-19 omicron variant in a western U.P. case.
“It is important to know that not all COVID tests are sequenced,” said Kate Beer, WUPHD health officer, in a news release.
“With the rapid rise in case counts over the last few days, we can be certain that there are additional cases.”
WUPHD encourages residents to take responsibility by staying home if they are not feeling well, masking in public or crowded places, following quarantine guidelines and getting vaccinated or receiving a booster dose.
“Vaccinations continue to be our best defense to reduce the severity of symptoms, prevent hospitalizations and death,” it said in its release.
Christie Mastric can be reached at 906-228-2500 ext. 250. Her email is cbleck@miningjournal.net.
[ad_2]
Source link
