For the fourth week in a row, the number of ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks in Michigan schools has declined.

This week, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) 44 new positive COVID-19 tests among students and faculty at 9 different schools in the state.  This adds to the 6,301 positive test results across 51 schools and administration buildings to bring the ongoing outbreak total to 60 schools.

The 60 reported outbreaks at schools is down from last weeks total of 72 and is part of an overall trend downward.  The reduction in outbreaks is because of many factors like mandatory virtual learning for high schools and colleges, the recent winter break, and hybrid or remote learning in primary schools.

The new COVID-19 outbreaks are in 1 university, 3 high schools, and 5 pre-schools or elementary schools.  This brings the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak totals to 3 administrative buildings, 19 colleges or universities, 12 high schools, 7 junior highs or middle schools, and 19 pre-schools or elementary schools.  The longest ongoing outbreaks are from colleges and universities that began in September, but there are also some high schools and middle schools who have had ongoing outbreaks since last October and November.

In every school among the 9 new reported, students have been reported to be infected.  And in some of those outbreaks faculty or staff are also infected.  It's hard to tell exactly how many students or staff are infected because the state only reports the total number of infections and whether staff, students, or both are infected, not how many of each.

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