(WXYZ) - The superintendent of Detroit Public Schools announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19 within the school district in a letter to district staff. Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of DPSCD, told district staff (in part): "We have learned through the city health department that a staff member at Osborn High School has a confirmed case of COVID-19. The individual has been released from the hospital and is ok and is being self-quarantined at home."
The letter to faculty, teachers and staff outlined the districts protocol moving forward.
“Staff, As I committed to earlier, I promised to inform you of our first confirmed COVID-19 case. We have learned through the city health department that a staff member at Osborn High School has a confirmed case of COVID-19. The individual has been released from the hospital and is ok and is being self-quarantined at home. We will directly inform the faculty and staff at Osborn via email and provide the same communication through robo call and text message to the staff and families. The staff member has decided to protect their identity.
As I committed to earlier, I promised to inform you of our first confirmed COVID-19 case. We have learned through the city health department that a staff member at Osborn High School has a confirmed case of COVID-19. The individual has been released from the hospital and is ok and is being self-quarantined at home. We will directly inform the faculty and staff at Osborn via email and provide the same communication through robo call and text message to the staff and families. The staff member has decided to protect their identity.
Please be advised that moving forward our protocol regarding confirmed cases will include direct notification to the school or central office department staff via email and a follow up robo/text to the location’s staff and families. We will post all confirmed cases, and locations, on the district’s website at www.detroitk12.org/covid19
This will unfortunately not be our only case. It is likely that other individuals at schools or at the district level have or will develop COVID-19. If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms, such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your healthcare provider for medical advice,” wrote Vitti.
The following statement is from Chief Public Health Officer Denise Fair:
We support the DPSCD policy of recommending self quarantining of all individuals who were present at Osborn school last week because of the possibility that they may have had primary contact with a faculty member diagnosed with COVID-19. Our recommendations are as follows:
Primary contacts
Students and faculty who were physically in Osborn school and may have had primary contact with the infected faculty member should quarantine for 14 days and should see their physician on the earliest signs of symptoms of fever, coughing, and shortness of breath.
Secondary contacts
We do not recommend self quarantining for individuals who were not physically in Osborn school.
Friends and family members of Osborn students who were never physically in the school did not have primary contact with the faculty member. These are considered secondary contacts. The Detroit health department does not recommend quarantining people based on secondary contact. These individuals should watch for symptoms and see their doctor if they arise.
Stay tuned to WXYZ.com for the latest information and updates on COVID-19.
