Outbreaks reported at five area schools

Of the 268 new COVID cases at Michigan schools reported for the week of March 8-12, 44 occurred at outbreaks in five schools in Oakland County.

For the previous week, there were 27 new cases in the county with 226 in the state.

An outbreak, as defined by the state, is two or more cases that have shared exposure on school grounds and are from different households.

The new outbreaks are at Birmingham’s Our Shepherd Lutheran (15 cases, students and staff); Country Oaks in Commerce Township (2 cases students); Ferndale High School (2 cases, students); Stoney Creek High School (6 cases, students; and two outbreaks at Lutheran NW in Rochester Hills — one with 8 students and another with 2 staff and students.

Nine ongoing outbreaks are listed at eight Oakland County schools: Carpenter Elementary (two) in Lake Orion, Holly High School (three), Rochester University (two), North Sashabaw Elementary (two) in Independence Township, Madison Heights Bishop Foley (three); Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (11); Birmingham Seaholm (two) and Lutheran NW in Rochester Hills was listed with seven among students and two outbreaks with students and teachers.

Ongoing outbreaks are those that had already been identified in previous weeks but have had at least one new associated case reported to the local health department in the last 28 days.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services releases the school outbreak data each Monday.

Case counts for schoolrelated outbreaks include those associated with beforeand after-school programs (including schoolsponsored sports). When applicable, outbreak reporting also includes cases originating from on-campus and off-campus student housing.

In other outbreak news, in region 2N which includes Oakland, Macomb and St. Clair counties, last week there were five new outbreaks at long-term care facilities; eight in manufacturing and construction; three at healthcare facilities; four at office settings; and zero in restaurants and bars.