One question, for instance, had been about fall sports that had been underway for weeks without face coverings — golf, tennis and cross country statewide, and soccer in northern counties. The MHSAA declined to comment on the latest order, saying it would say more Thursday once “we know the full extent of what this requires.”

Whitmer’s order continues to say that sports organizers must ensure that athletes comply with the mask requirement.

Earlier this week, state House Speaker Lee Chatfield, a Republican, criticized requiring children participating in outdoor sports to wear face coverings. “Tennis. Cross country. Soccer. Golf. (You get this point.) Let me be clear: this absolutely crazy. Wild!” he tweeted.

The governor, a Democrat whose state has seen nearly 6,900 deaths related to COVID-19, allowed athletic competitions to resume in regions where they had been restricted. Her administration released guidance, however, recommending against — but not prohibiting — contact sports. Those are defined as involving more than occasional and fleeting contact. They include football, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, hockey, wrestling, field hockey, boxing and martial arts with opponents.

Whitmer, in a statement, said the virus “is easily spread through airborne particles and can affect everyone differently. By wearing a face covering when proper distancing is not possible, athletes will be better protected from contracting the virus and spreading it to family members, frontline workers and vulnerable populations.”