Starting today, everyone over four years old inside a Port Huron Schools building must wear a mask until the end of the day on December 17, 2021.
In a letter to families, Port Huron Schools Superintendent Theo Kerhoulas said “an additional layer of mitigation is necessary to slow the spread among our staff and students to ensure we can keep our schools open.”
The mask requirement in the schools is in response to what public health officials are calling Michigan’s “fourth wave” of COVID-19. Yesterday, The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) issued a plea for all Michiganders to get vaccinated, wear masks in indoor areas, and use extra precautions like hand-washing and getting tested for COVID-19 before going to gatherings.
Another local response to the current situation was announced by the St. Clair County Health Department this morning. Effective December 1, 2021, the health department is moving to patient collected specimens for COVID-19 tests.
Those who need a COVID-19 test will now park at the health department, call to alert staff they have arrived, go pick up their test and consent form from an outdoor window, return to their car to collect their specimens, and then return the test to the box.
The test will be processed while the patient waits in their vehicle, and they will be alerted by phone of the results.
This new procedure will enable the health department to test more people and return results faster.
Testing is free, and available Mondays from 10:30 AM – 6 PM, and Tuesday – Friday 8:30 AM – 4 PM. Appointments can be scheduled on the web at www.scchealth.co or by calling 810-987-5300.
Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand
