Eleven K-12 schools in Michigan have reported new or ongoing outbreaks of coronavirus over the past week, and there also are 11 outbreaks linked to college campuses, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services website.
They are among 210 outbreaks included in the state’s new online outbreak tracker. The data set lists the outbreaks by region, but does not offer specific locations or additional details, such as number of cases.
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The tracker was updated Monday, Sept. 7, with information collected for the seven days ending Thursday, Aug. 3.
An outbreak is generally defined as an instance in which two or more cases are linked by a place and time, indicating a shared exposure outside of a household.
Of the K-12 outbreaks, three were first identified last week and the other eight were identified earlier but had at least one new case last week.
Of the college outbreaks, seven were first identified last week and the other four are ongoing, which means it was identified earlier but had at least one new case in the past week.
Central Michigan University, Grand Valley State University, Michigan Tech and Adrian College are among the schools that have publicly reported outbreaks in the past week. Outbreaks also have been reported among Michigan State University students, even though that campus is conducting classes online this semester.
Tuesday, Sept. 8, coronavirus data by Michigan county: College outbreaks spike numbers in 5 counties
MDHHS is not identifying the schools or the number of coronavirus cases. However, it is listing the information by the state’s eight health district regions. (Note those regions have different numbers than the MI Safe Start Plan.)
- Region 1 has five school-related outbreaks: One at a K-12 school and four on college campuses. The region includes Ingham, Jackson, Livingston, Eaton, Clinton, Shiawasee, Gratiot, Lenawee and Hillsdale counties.
- Region 2N has seven school-related outbreaks: Six at K-12 schools and one at a college. That region covers Oakland, Macomb and St. Clair counties.
- Region 2S -- Wayne, Washtenaw and Monroe counties -- has two outbreaks at K-12 schools.
- Region 3 has one ongoing outbreak at a college site. That region covers Flint-Saginaw-Bay City, The Thumb and north to Alcona and Oscoda counties.
- Region 6 has four school-related outbreaks -- two at K-12 schools and two at colleges. That region includes Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon, Montcalm, Isabella, Mecosta, Newaygo, Oceana, Mason, Lake, Osceola and Clare counties.
- Region 8, which is the Upper Peninsula, has three outbreaks on college campuses.
No school-related outbreaks were reported in Regions 5, which is southwest Michigan, or Region 7, which is northern Lower Michigan.
Those outbreaks do not includes an additional three clusters linked to child-care and youth programs, which include daycares, day/overnight camps, extracurricular activities and sports programs. Two were in Region 5 and one in Region 7.
The state reported a total of 61 clusters newly identified last week and 149 ongoing outbreaks that were identified earlier but had at least one additional case last week.
By region, the breakdown of the clusters:
- Region 1: 24 clusters;
- Region 2N: 40;
- Region 2S: 67;
- Region 3: 15;
- Region 5: 21;
- Region 6: 31;
- Region 7: 11;
- Region 8: 9.
By category, they included:
- 67 clusters (15 new and 52 ongoing) at long-term care facilities, which include skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, adult day cares and group homes. That included 15 clusters in Regions 2S and 11 in 2N.
- 22 clusters (21 new and one ongoing) were linked to bars or restaurants. Fourteen of the clusters involved patrons as well as employees. Six of the 22 cases were in Region 2S.
- 18 clusters (six new and 12 ongoing) linked to private social gatherings, such as a wedding, funeral or party. Eight of the 18 clusters were in Region 2S, which includes Wayne, Washtenaw and Monroe counties.
- 18 clusters (three new and 15 ongoing) were linked to manufacturing or construction sites. Ten of the 18 were in Region 2S.
- 18 clusters (six new and 12 ongoing) at health-care sites, which would include hospitals, medical and dental offices, dialysis centers and other facilities providing health-care services.
- 11 clusters (two new and nine ongoing) at migrant camps or other agriculture workplaces, such as food-processing plants. Four of the clusters are in Region 5, which is southwest Michigan..
- 10 clusters (two new and eight ongoing) in office settings.
- Eight clusters (two new and six ongoing) involved retail businesses, but all eight only involved employees and no customers were identified as cases.
- Three clusters, all ongoing, were associated with religious services.
- One cluster linked to and indoor community events, such as a meeting or concert, and two clusters linked to outdoor community events, including concerts, rallies and protests.
- Three clusters were linked to personal services, such as a hair and/or nail salon.
Outbreaks will be removed from the database if there are no additional cases through a 14-day period, state MDHHS officials have said.
State officials note that the chart does not provide a complete picture of outbreaks in Michigan, and an absence of identified outbreak in a particular setting is not evidence that the setting is not having outbreaks.
“Many factors, including the lack of ability to conduct effective contact tracing in certain settings, may result in significant under-reporting of outbreaks,” the state’s website reads.
For more statewide data, visit MLive’s coronavirus data page, here. To find a testing site near you, check out the state’s online test finder, here, send an email to COVID19@michigan.gov, or call 888-535-6136 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.
COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS:
In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus.
Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible.
Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued executive orders requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nosewhile in public indoor and crowded outdoor spaces. See an explanation of what that means here.
Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
For more data on COVID-19 in Michigan, visit https://www.mlive.com/coronavirus/data/.
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