We have read about it everywhere- Coronavirus-COVID-19. Here are some links to help you stay in the know!
State of Michigan and CDC: Information about this outbreak is changing rapidly. You can stay informed by regularly visiting Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
Information from Birmingham Public School District: See the website for details from Superintendent Mark Dziatczak regarding district plans around COVID-19: https://www.birmingham.k12.mi.us/Page/10788
Bloomfield Hills Schools: https://www.bloomfield.org/about-us/safety-security/coronavirus-information
Following the announcement of the state’s first presumptive positive cases of COVID-19, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) are providing recommendations designed to help prevent the spread of the virus. Read below for some pointers directly from the Interim Recommendations to Mitigate the Spread of COVID-19 (March 11, 2020). Click for the full link.
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Interim Recommendations for COVID-19 Community Mitigation Strategies (March 11, 2020). Michiganders have been preparing for COVID-19 for weeks, and all individuals should continue to take the following basic personal-hygiene measures to prevent the spread of the virus:
• wash your hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer;
• avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands;
• cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing;
• avoid handshakes;
• avoid contact with sick people who are sick; and
• stay home when you are sick.
Michigan must take further action, however. To help avoid a rapid increase of cases in the state, MDHHS recommends implementing now the following community mitigation strategies.
Individuals and families at home:
1. Learn about the signs and symptoms of COVID-19. Symptoms include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.
2. If you have respiratory symptoms, STAY HOME WHEN YOU ARE SICK. Call your health care provider’s office in advance of your visit.
3. Regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, like doorknobs, keyboards, cell phones, and light switches.
4. Communicate and reinforce best practices for washing hands and covering coughs and sneezes.
5. Be prepared if there is COVID-19 in your household or a disruption of daily activities in your community. For example, maintain a supply of medications, food, and other essentials in your house. Consider alternative shopping options such as curbside pickups or online deliveries.
6. Access services as much as possible online or by phone.
Schools and childcare facilities:
1. Educate students and the community about COVID-19 and preventative hygiene practices.
2. Encourage staff and students to stay home when sick.
3. Report influenza-like activity, absenteeism, and potential school dismissals to public health officials.
4. Separate sick students and staff from others until they can go home. When feasible, identify a “sick room” through which others do not regularly pass.
5. Communicate and reinforce best practices for washing hands and covering coughs and sneezes.
6. Regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, like doorknobs, keyboards, cell phones, and light switches.
7. Consider having students eat meals in their classrooms as opposed to a cafeteria-like setting, or alter meal schedules for smaller-group gatherings.
8. Limit large gatherings such as assemblies and limit inter-school interactions.
