ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Ann Arbor Public Schools are reinstituting a two-week mask requirement as students return to classes on Monday after winter break.

In an email to students and parents, Ann Arbor Schools Superintendent Jeanice Swift wrote, in part, “On further consideration of the disruption caused for families when schools are closed due to illness or absences, and in light of the current health risks for our students and staff…masks are required while indoors in AAPS schools from January 9-20.”

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Swift went on to say, “the requirement of masks while indoors at school is a measure to reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses and related absenteeism and to prioritize health and in-school learning.”

In neighboring Wayne County, the Department of Health, Human, and Veterans Services stopped short of requiring masks and instead recommended that masks be worn for two weeks after the holiday break.

The move by Ann Arbor Schools and the recommendation from Wayne County comes three weeks after the White House COVID-19 coordinator said there is no study that indicates masks work to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses.

“There is no study in the world that shows that masks work that well,” Dr. Ashish Jha said in a December 2022 interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer. “So you’re never going to get the kind of benefit from mandatory year-round masking as you would from making substantial improvements in indoor air quality, plus it’s a lot easier to implement as well,” Jha added.

The statement from Dr. Jha is a change from his September 2020 statement before a congressional panel. “So, I think the science on masks is actually quite clear. And there is broad agreement among public health and science experts that masks work,” Jha said.

As expected, the internet blew up with comments over the school masks requirements.

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As of now, Ann Arbor students will return to mask-free learning on January 21.