(WWJ) There are more than two dozen new coronavirus outbreaks reported in schools throughout Michigan, including in metro Detroit, state health officials say.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on Monday reported 26 new outbreaks, including one involving 12 students at Father Gabriel Richard High School in Ann Arbor. Other outbreaks were reported at St. Lawrence Catholic School in Utica, Clinton Valley Elementary School in Mt. Clemens, Miami Elementary in Clinton Township and Oxford Middle School in Oxford.
New outbreaks were also reported at Kalamazoo College, involving 21 students and staff, Cleary University in Livingston County and Washtenaw Community College, according to MDHHS.
Find a complete rundown of school outbreaks in Michigan HERE.
What counts as an "outbreak"? In accordance with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists' outbreak definition, educational institutions 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 sports.
Starting today, an order by MDHHS Director Robert Gordon now requires K-12 schools to provide public notice to the school community about probable and confirmed cases of COVID-19, within 24 hours.
"Recent outbreaks throughout the country demonstrate that COVID-19 can spread quickly in the school setting," said Gordon. "Timely communication from schools to parents, guardians, students, teachers, staff and other persons affiliated with schools enables members of the school community to take measures to prevent spread of the virus."
