GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — What started as a small pro-mask rally to urge the Kent County Health Department to issue a masking mandate turned into a dueling anti-mask protest nearby Friday afternoon.
The rally was organized by Smart Science Alliance, a group of concerned parents, teachers and other community members who want to push for what they call "science-based decisions" in schools.
Not long after the group appeared outside the Kent County Health Department Office, a large group of anti-mask protesters appeared on the other side of the road to make their voices heard as well.
In response to the rallygoers, the Kent County Health Department says there will not be a public health order mandating masks in schools at this time.
Kent County Health Department Administrative Health Officer Adam London issued a three-page statement that says in part:
"...I am not issuing a public health order mandating mask in the schools at this time. This decision is due to the reality that not all options have been exhausted to prevent the danger before us. The schools and the parents have even greater power than the health department to protect the children and the community," London said.
"At this time, I am presenting the community with the highest recommendation possible that schools and the parents require adherence to the guidance of the CDC, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and the Kent County Health Department. Above all, I expect that the children under the age of 12, who are not yet eligible for vaccine, are protected through mask use and other proven prevention strategies."
The CDC recently raised Kent County's risk level for the spread of COVID-19 from "moderate" to "substantial."
The CDC is recommending everyone, vaccinated or not, to mask up when indoors in public spaces.
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