(WWJ) The coronavirus is still spreading in Michigan schools -- but a little bit less than before, according to the health officials.
Data released by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on Monday shows 34 new COVID-19 outbreaks are linked to pre-K through 12 schools in Michigan, including at Rochester Adams High School, Howell High School and Brighton High School.
The highest number of cases among the new outbreaks was at St. Fabian Pre-K and Elementary School in Farmington Hills, which reported eight cases. Another outbreak was reported at nearby Bingham Farms Elementary, MDHHS said.
Across the state, health officials are currently tracking 198 outbreaks in schools, including both new and ongoing outbreaks.
The good news is these numbers are on a downward trend. Last week, the state reported 35 new outbreaks in schools, down from the 53 outbreaks the week before.
What counts as a school "outbreak"? In accordance with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists’ outbreak definition, educational institutions (i.e., grades K-12 and institutions of higher education) that have been found by their local health department to have two or more COVID-19 cases who may have shared exposure on school grounds and are from different households are included. Case counts for school-related outbreaks include those associated with before and after school programs, including school-sponsored sports. If your institution is listed, your local health department and/or school will contact you directly if you or your child) were possibly exposed.
While high schools have been restricted to virtual instruction for the past three weeks, officials note that outbreaks identified as "new" are those first identified during the current reporting week. This means the contact could have occurred earlier, but has just become known to the health department.
There were no new outbreaks reported this week at colleges and universities, which are also restricted to online-only.
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Visit THIS LINK for more details on school outbreak data in Michigan, which is updated once a week.
These numbers came out shortly after it was announced that high school and colleges would remain closed for in-person learning for an additional 12 days as part of an extension of the statewide "pause" to slow the spread of the virus.
Along with those schools, bars and restaurants are prohibited from offering indoor service and some other businesses considered "high-risk" are also closed. GET THE DETAILS HERE.
The case count, meanwhile, continues to climb. Michigan has now passed the 400,000 mark in confirmed coronavirus cases, after nearly 10,000 cases were added to the count Sunday and Monday combined. MDHHS said there have been 9,947 deaths related to the virus since mid-March.
Get more coronavirus stats from the state at this link. Want to get tested? Click here.
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