Two new school outbreaks reported

However, figures show case decline

Oakland County is bucking the trend in Michigan with a decrease in COVID-19 outbreaks in Oakland County schools.

For the week of Sept. 13-18, Oakland County schools had just two outbreaks with five cases, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services which releases school outbreak data each Monday. That compares to three outbreaks and a dozen cases the previous week.

Cases statewide increased to 412 from 342 the previous week. The 98 new outbreaks were up from 71 outbreaks a week ago.

Schools in Oakland County with new outbreaks were Lake Orion’s Blanche Sims Elementary (three cases among students and staff) and Avondale GATE Magnet School (two among students). Avondale GATE made the new outbreak list for the second straight week.

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

Seven Oakland County schools continue with ongoing outbreaks: Avondale High School (four cases), Bloomfield Hills Marian High School (three cases),

Troy High School (two cases), Cranbrook (two cases), Avondale GATE Magnet (eight cases), Walled Lake Western (two cases) and Troy Athens (two cases).

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. Outbreaks will be removed from the list when there are no new confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases identified after 28 days have passed since the last known school exposure from a case.

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, this week there were 16 new outbreaks which is up from nine last week. In K-12 before/after school programs there were 10 outbreaks; four from outdoor community exposure; and one each from child care and social gatherings.