After first month of school, COVID cases at MCS close in on last year’s total
One month into this school year, Manchester Community Schools is getting close to reaching the number of total positive COVID cases for all of the 2020-21 school year. Last school year, there were 30 total positive COVID-19 cases among staff and students. This school year, as of Sunday night, the district has reported 28 positive COVID-19 cases.
In addition to the 28 positive cases, 146 staff and students have been close contacts to COVID so far this year and have been required to quarantine. Notably, 97 of those close contacts were reported by the school district in the last seven days and are among Jr./Sr High School students. With 388 students in the Jr./Sr High School, this means 25% or 1 in 4 Manchester High School students have been exposed to COVID in just over a week.
The Washtenaw County Health Department confirmed that in general, it is seeing higher case counts in schools this fall. Susan Ringler-Cerniglia, Public Health Officer for the Health Department, explained that while there are currently a few school outbreaks, most exposure is happening in households/social events and activities. She stated that the higher number of cases in schools seem to be mostly a reflection of high transmission in our communities as a whole. The Health Department team that works with the schools added that we are starting this school year with a higher rate of community transmission than last year, and that is relevant. Starting at a higher point will generally lead to higher rates during the year.
Last year Manchester Community Schools started off the year with no positive cases in the Manchester area for four weeks in a row and no positive cases in the schools for the first month of school. This school year started in the midst of the third wave of cases to hit the Manchester area, and has seen 64 positive COVID-19 cases in the 48158 ZIP code during the last four weeks.
If most of the positive COVID-19 cases in the schools are being exposed outside of school, some may question the necessity of wearing masks in school. It turns out, according to the health department, that the masks are reducing the risk of school outbreaks, which would make the already higher numbers of positive cases worse. The Washtenaw County Health Department shared two reports recently published by the CDC to illustrate this point. One report showed that schools without in-school mask requirements were 3.5 times more likely to have a COVID-19 outbreak than schools with an in-school mask requirement. The other showed that counties without school mask requirements experienced larger increases in pediatric COVID-19 case rates after the start of school compared with counties that had school mask requirements.
Last school year, the mandate to wear masks indoors at school came from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and applied state-wide. This school year, the state has left the decision whether to mandate masks indoor up to counties and individual districts. While Manchester as a district opted to not impose a mask mandate initially, by the end of the first week of school, the Washtenaw County Health Department imposed a county-wide school mask mandate.
Last week there was some question as to whether County Health Departments that had instituted school mask mandates would withdraw them. The state budget contained language inserted by Republican legislators that discouraged local health departments from issuing or enforcing mask mandates for individuals under the age of 18. The language threatened to withhold state funding unless the order was supported by the county’s board of commissioners. It is likely that Washtenaw County’s school mask order would be supported by our county board of commissioners so this threat would not apply to our county. In addition, the governor maintains that the budget provisions that attempt to prohibit school mask policies violate the state constitution and are unenforceable, making it a moot point. Gov. Whitmer’s spokesperson stated, “The state of Michigan will continue to provide funding to local health departments that implement universal mask policies or quarantine protocols in schools to keep students safe so they can learn in person.”
The Washtenaw County Health Department weighed in to reiterate that the language in the budget does not remove their ability to issue school mask mandates. The Health Department issued a statement on Thursday stating, “While the recently enacted state budget for Fiscal Year 2021-22 contains language addressing the effect that an emergency order may have on appropriated funds, the Health Department retains the authority to issue and enforce its emergency orders. Accordingly, the Isolation and Quarantine Order in Educational Settings (dated 9/2/21, updated 9/15/21) and its Wearing of Masks in Educational Settings Within Washtenaw County (dated 9/2/21) remain in effect in accordance with the provisions of those orders.”
As demonstrated by language in the state budget, the requirement to wear masks has become a significant wedge issue, dividing school communities across the state. This has unfortunately been the case in Manchester as well. In addition to protests, pressure on teachers, and angry discourse on social media, two weeks ago the regularly scheduled in-person school board meeting was postponed due to audience refusal to wear masks. The meeting was held virtually last Monday, with close to 100 people logging on. The public comment section of the meeting was dominated by the discussion of masks.
Some parents were opposed to the virtual format and pressed for the school board meeting to be held outdoors. While that didn’t happen, the district is holding an outdoor community listening session and discussion next Wednesday, October 13, beginning at 6 pm at the Manchester Jr./Sr. High School Football Field. The goal will be to talk about the myriad of issues and challenges that our school district has been working through recently. Superintendent Brad Bezeau stated in a newsletter that went out to school families last Wednesday, “All are invited to attend this event as we continue the process of working together and to begin the healing that needs to take place within our district in order for us to continue to move forward as a school community.”
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