Moving the COVID-19 story forward with focus on preventing all infectious diseases

Current back-to-school protocols for COVID-19 are evolving from pandemic emergency to a more standard tactic to controlling respiratory viral diseases, such as influenza. While the onset of a more threatening variant could alter this approach, families and schools can focus on illness prevention and responding to in-school clusters of cases, according to “Managing Communicable Diseases in Schools,” a recently published guide by the Michigan Board of Education (MBE) and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS).

“There has been significant progress in mitigating the impact of COVID-19 with vaccines and medical treatments,” said Holly Campbell, Health Department of Northwest Michigan (HDNW) Deputy Health Officer. “We do need to remain vigilant, however, taking into consideration those in our communities who are older or have underlying medical conditions that put them at higher risk of developing serious complications.”

Strategies to prevent the spread of infectious diseases continues to include:

• Stay current with COVID-19 and other immunizations,
• Create a supportive environment for anyone choosing to wear a mask,
• Follow isolation guidelines when diagnosed with or showing symptoms of illness,
• Promote testing, symptom monitoring, and potential quarantine,
• Continue to report illnesses to the school and the local health department as required by public health code, and
• Consult guidelines for when to keep children home from school.

“These are reasonable and responsible approaches toward keeping our communities healthy,” said Amanda Thompson, HDNW Family Health Director and Interim Deputy Health Officer. “We all need to remain diligent in preventing the spread of communicable diseases.”

If COVID-19 or other infectious diseases increase, school officials will refer to plans they have established for how to best keep students and staff safe. Those plans include tracking local data on outbreaks, assessing the risk of rising infections, and the percentage of local vaccination rates.

School closure should be a last resort, according to MBE and MDHHS. Most area schools have, however, closed in the past when high levels of absences have occurred from both COVID-19 and various strains of flu. The closures provide time for cleaning and help interrupt transmission of the disease to contain the outbreak.

To schedule a vaccine before sending children back to school, call 800-432-4121 or visit https://www.nwhealth.org/imms.html.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 13, 2021
Contact: Chelsea Wuth, 517-241-2112

LANSING, Mich. – Today, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) issued updated recommendations for schools designed to help prevent transmission of COVID-19 within school buildings, reduce disruptions to in-person learning and help protect vulnerable individuals and individuals who are not fully vaccinated. Because many students have yet to be vaccinated and students under age 12 are not yet eligible, layered prevention measures, including universal masking, must be put in place for consistent in-person learning to keep kids, staff and families safe.

The guidance has been updated to reflect the most current recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on masking and prevention strategies to help operate schools more safely. Mask use has been proven to substantially reduce transmission in school settings.

“We are committed to ensuring Michigan students and educators are safe in the classroom, including those who may not yet be vaccinated,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at MDHHS. “MDHHS is issuing this guidance to help protect Michiganders of all ages. We continue to urge all eligible residents to get the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible as it is our best defense against the virus and the way we are going to end this pandemic.”

MDHHS recommends that all schools adopt policies to:

• Promote vaccination for eligible students, staff and families.
• Require universal masking for students, staff and visitors regardless of community transmission rate or vaccination status.
• Implement layered prevention measures.

The key strategies recommended by the CDC to keep schools safer are outlined below:

1. Promoting Vaccination against COVID-19 for eligible staff and students. Vaccination has proven incredibly effective as the leading public health prevention strategy.  Promoting vaccination can help schools more safely maintain in-person learning as well as extracurricular activities and sports.
2. Requiring Consistent and Correct Mask Use for all
   • Schools should mandate universal masking for students, staff, teachers and visitors. CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status. This prevention strategy is crucial to allowing students to maintain in-person learning.
   • Local health departments should work with schools to adopt universal masking policies.
   • Mask use has been proven to substantially reduce transmission in school settings.
   • CDC has recommendations for proper use of masks.  
   • CDC’s order requires all persons – regardless of vaccination status – to wear masks on public transportation, including school buses.
3. Physical Distancing CDC recommends schools maintain at least 3 feet of physical distance between students within classrooms, combined with indoor mask wearing by students, teachers, and staff, regardless of vaccination status.
   • A distance of at least 6 feet is recommended between students and educators, and between educators/staff who are not fully vaccinated.
   • Mask use by all students, educators, staff, and visitors is particularly important when physical distance cannot be maintained.
   • Because of the importance of in-person learning, schools should not exclude students from in-person learning to keep a minimum distance requirement. When it is not possible to maintain a 3 foot physical distance, it is especially important to layer multiple other prevention strategies, such as indoor masking, screening testing, and improved ventilation, to help reduce transmission risk.
4. Screening Testing identifies infected people, including those without symptoms who may be contagious, so that measures can be taken to prevent further transmission or outbreaks.
   • To support schools that incorporate COVID-19 testing into their safer school prevention plans, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is offering rapid antigen testing to Pre-K-12 schools through the MI Safe Schools Testing Program. 
5. Ventilation
   • a) Improving ventilation by opening multiple doors and windows, using child-safe fans to increase the effectiveness of open windows, and making changes to the HVAC or air filtration systems. 
   • b) Avoiding crowded and/or poorly ventilated indoor activities (e.g., engaging in outdoor activities when possible).
   • c) Open or crack windows in buses and other forms of transportation to improve air circulation, if doing so does not pose a safety risk.
6. Handwashing and Respiratory Etiquette: Promoting handwashing and covering coughs and sneezes.
7. Staying Home When Sick and Getting Tested
   1. Encouraging students and staff to stay home if sick or having COVID-19 symptoms.
   2. Encouraging students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, to get tested for COVID-19 if having symptoms or if they are a close contact of someone who has COVID-19.
8. Contact Tracing, in Combination with Quarantine, and collaborating with the local health department.
9. Cleaning and Disinfection: cleaning once a day is usually enough to sufficiently remove potential virus that may be on surfaces. Disinfecting (using disinfectants on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency COVID-19 list) removes any remaining germs on surfaces, which further reduces any risk of spreading infection. CDC has information on routine cleaning to help maintain healthy facilities.

Together with local public health officials, school administrators should consider multiple factors when they make decisions about implementing layered prevention strategies against COVID-19. Since schools typically serve their surrounding communities, decisions can be based on the school population, families and students served, as well as their communities. Robust layering strategies will consider the following primary factors:

• Level of community transmission of COVID-19.
• COVID-19 vaccination coverage in the community and among students, teachers, and staff.
• Use of a frequent SARS-CoV-2 screening testing program for students, teachers, and staff who are not fully vaccinated. Testing provides an important layer of prevention, particularly in areas with substantial to high community transmission levels.
• COVID-19 outbreaks or increasing trends in the school or surrounding community.
• Ages of children served in the school and risk associated with school, extracurricular, and social activities.

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit Michigan.gov/COVIDVaccine.

For more information about COVID-19 in Michigan, visit Michigan.gov/coronavirus.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 4, 2021
Contact: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112

LANSING, Mich. – Today, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) issued updated recommendations for schools designed to help prevent transmission of COVID-19 within school buildings, reduce disruptions to in-person learning and help protect vulnerable individuals and individuals who are not fully vaccinated.

The guidance has been updated to reflect the most current recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on masking and prevention strategies to help operate schools more safely. It includes guidance on assessing risk levels when making decisions about implementing layered prevention strategies against COVID-19.

“We are committed to ensuring Michigan students and educators are safe in the classroom, including those who may not yet be vaccinated,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at MDHHS. “MDHHS is issuing this guidance to help protect Michiganders of all ages. We continue to urge all eligible residents to get the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible as it is our best defense against the virus and the way we are going to end this pandemic.”

“Our students and staff need to be in schools as much as possible this year,” said State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice. “Following the informed guidance from national and state health experts will help keep our students and staff healthy and help maximize student learning.”

Prevention Strategies
The most effective way to prevent transmission within school buildings, reduce disruptions to in-person learning and help protect people who are not fully vaccinated is to layer multiple prevention strategies recommended by CDC. All prevention strategies provide some level of protection, and layered strategies implemented at the same time provide the greatest level of protection.

The key strategies recommended by the CDC to keep schools safer are as follows:

1. Promoting vaccination against COVID-19 for eligible staff and students. Vaccination has proven incredibly effective as the leading public health prevention strategy. 
2. Consistent and correct mask use
   1. CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all educators, staff, students and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status.
   2. CDC has recommendations for proper use of masks.  
   3. CDC’s order requires all persons – regardless of vaccination status – wear masks on public transportation, including school buses.
3. Physical distancing CDC recommends schools maintain at least three feet of physical distance between students within classrooms, combined with indoor mask wearing by students, teachers and staff, regardless of vaccination status. When it is not possible to maintain a three-foot physical distance, it is especially important to layer multiple other prevention strategies, such as indoor masking, screening testing, cohorting, and improved ventilation to help reduce transmission risk.
4. Screening testing identifies infected people, including those without symptoms who may be contagious, so that measures can be taken to prevent further transmission or outbreaks.
5. Ventilation
   1. Improving ventilation by opening multiple doors and windows, using child-safe fans to increase the effectiveness of open windows and making changes to the HVAC or air filtration systems. 
   2. Avoiding crowded and/or poorly ventilated indoor activities (e.g., engaging in outdoor activities when possible).
   3. Open or crack windows in buses and other forms of transportation to improve air circulation, if doing so does not pose a safety risk.
6. Handwashing and respiratory etiquette: Promoting handwashing and covering coughs and sneezes.
7. Staying home when sick and getting tested
   1. Encouraging students and staff to stay home if sick or having COVID-19 symptoms.
   2. Encouraging students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, to get tested for COVID-19 if having symptoms or if they are a close contact of someone who has COVID-19.
8. Contact tracing in combination with quarantine: Collaborating with the local health department. 
9. Cleaning and disinfection: Cleaning once a day is usually enough to sufficiently remove potential virus that may be on surfaces. Disinfecting (using disinfectants on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency COVID-19 webpage) removes any remaining germs on surfaces, which further reduces any risk of spreading infection. CDC has information on routine cleaning to help maintain healthy facilities.

The following factors should be used when determining mitigation strategies:

• Level of community transmission of COVID-19.
• COVID-19 vaccination coverage in the community and among students, teachers and staff.
• Use of a frequent SARS-CoV-2 screening testing program for students, teachers and staff who are not fully vaccinated.
• COVID-19 outbreaks or increasing trends in the school or surrounding community.
• Ages of children served in the school and risk associated with school, extracurricular and social activities.

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit Michigan.gov/COVIDVaccine

For more information about COVID-19 in Michigan, visit Michigan.gov/coronavirus.

Governor Gretchen WhitmerCOVID-19 Task Force on Education Return to School Advisory Council
MI Safe Schools:Michigan’s 2020-21 Return to School Roadmap
Published: June 30, 2020

MDE Information and Resources

MDE-MDHHS Coronavirus Letter

CDC Interim Guidance for Administrators of US Childcare Programs and K-12 Schools to Plan, Prepare, and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

The State of Michigan, in partnership with the Connected Nation Michigan, released a statewide Wi-Fi hotspot map to assist residents who currently lack internet access at home. The COVID-19 pandemic and transition to remote and distance learning has only increased the need for residents and students to have easy access to broadband services. The Wi-Fi mapping effort, spearheaded by the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) and Connected Nation Michigan, along with the Department of Technology, Management and Budget (DTMB) and the Michigan Department of Education, is an interim step amid the coronavirus pandemic to spotlight publicly available broadband hotspots for households without internet access. You can find the full press release here.