(WXYZ) — Dozens of people gathered in front of the Oakland County Health Department Wednesday to protest the universal mask mandate for county schools.
Some of the protesters were holding signs with messaging like “Our children deserve to breathe” and “My child, my choice.”
Related: Oakland County emergency order mandates masks in all schools, daycares
On Tuesday evening, Oakland County issued an emergency order for a county-wide mask mandate for all "educational institutions" in Oakland County due to the surge in COVID-19 cases.
The mask mandate affects public, private, and charter schools in the county, and is in response to rising COVID cases and hospitalizations, especially among children.
Oakland County health officials note recent trends accessed by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, stating that "consistent mask use" can reduce COVID risk in school settings, and that counties that have masks mandates in place tend to experience lower illness rates.
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