COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – With the COVID-19 Delta variant having an effect on the high number of cases in recent weeks, Health Officer Rebecca Burns indicated to the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency Board of Health on Thursday they are starting to get some COVID-19 reports from schools in their jurisdiction.
The new school year started this week in Branch County. The COVID-19 dashboard for Coldwater Community Schools indicated four positive cases at the high school between last Thursday and this past Monday. As of Wednesday, one case has been reported in the Bronson Community School District.
Burns told the Board she is hearing it from both sides of the masking issue.
The Health Agency’s recommendations for all K-12 schools include universal masking in all school buildings as well as other mitigation strategies.
The agency is now notifying parents of K-12 children if their child has been in close contact and needs to quarantine. Weekly meetings between the health agency and local Superintendents are also being held.
While Branch County school districts have recommended the wearing of masks, none have mandated their use. The only place where masks must be worn is on a school bus and that’s according to an order from the C.D.C. concerning public transportation.
Burns also reported that the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccination is now available for those that are immune compromised who received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. Individuals can make an appointment using the online scheduler on the health agency’s web site. She added booster doses are not yet available. The agency will begin to offer them on September 20 with residents of long-term care facilities getting priority. Individuals must be eight months past their second dose. This only applies to those who received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine.
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