STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. – The state of Michigan releases new COVID school data each Monday. The latest batch of numbers has Macomb County leading the state with outbreaks and cases.
Twenty-five Macomb County schools have outbreaks accounting for 484 new COVID cases out of a statewide total of 858. The top three schools with the most cases are Eisenhower High School in Shelby Township with 53 cases, Sterling Heights’ Stevenson High School with 45 and Romeo High School with 35.
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Oakland County has no new COVID school cases and Wayne County has 20 cases spread over three schools. Both Oakland and Wayne have mask mandates for schools and Macomb does not.
“Along with the Macomb Intermediate School District as well as Macomb County school districts, we are working to promote a safe educational environment. As we have in the past we’ll continue to work with these partners and monitor Macomb County schools, and act accordingly,” read a statement from the Macomb County Health Department.
Two of the top three schools with the most cases are in the Utica Community Schools District.
The district released the following statement:
“We work closely with the Macomb County Health Department in the development and implementation of protocols used in schools. In areas where there may be an increased impact of COVID-19, we have worked with families in specific schools or programs to adjust mitigation strategies. These adjustments have included the temporary use of face coverings or placing classes into remote learning.
“We use data reported directly to our schools from families or through the health department of individuals who were in attendance and later tested positive or probable for COVID-19, which can often differ from those numbers reported at the state level. The dashboard on our website reflects the number of individuals who tested positive or probable after being in attendance at one of our schools.”
Utica Community Schools
School board meetings across the county have pitted pro-mask parents versus anti-mask parents.
“When you’re in a school district or a county that is choosing to ignore those things because of politics or to keep people happy, it’s really difficult,” said Emily Mellits, who is part of a Facebook group of Macomb parents who have been advocating for a county mask mandate. “I’ve already had my kid miss school. How many more times is this going to happen? It is avoidable and this is the sad part.”
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