LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Workers Disability Compensation Agency is adopting new mask requirements in all employees and visitors indoors as COVID-19 cases rise in the state.
Effective Monday, Aug. 9, the new guidelines – based on those from the Michigan Supreme Court – require face coverings for everyone regardless of vaccination status, according to a news release Friday.
“We do not want to be in the situation where our hearing sites become ‘hot spots’ for COVID-19 transmission necessitating another closure of the sites,” the news release said.
Other guidelines the WDCA has adopted include:
- Face coverings aren’t required where they cannot be medically tolerated, but social distancing should be implemented in such situations to enhance safety.
- At the discretion of the magistrate presiding over a hearing, face coverings may be removed by attorneys while speaking or by witnesses during testimony, as long as six feet of social distancing is maintained and court attendees wear masks at all times.
- Face coverings are required for attorneys unless the magistrate presiding over a hearing determines that the attorney is inaudible and temporary removal of the face covering is necessary to create an accurate record.