COVID-19 OUTBREAK DASHBOARD

To protect the health of our School Community and per the Emergency Order issued by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Reporting of Confirmed and Probable Cases of COVID-19 at Schools on October 6, 2020, Lansing Catholic High School will use this webpage to provide Public Notice to our School Community regarding School Associated Cases of COVID-19. Within 24 hours of being notified of a School Associated Case by the Ingham County Health Department, this dashboard will be updated to include new and cumulative COVID-19 case counts. Individuals identified as Close Contacts of School Associated Cases will be notified separately and directly by their local health department.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR COVID-19 PREVENTION STRATEGY FOR SCHOOLS FORM

Updated: February 3, 2022 - 6:35pm

STATUS OF INSTRUCTION AND SCHOOL-SPONSORED FUNCTIONS

• Instruction: In-person
• School-Sponsored Functions: All extracurricular activities are active.

SCHOOL ASSOCIATED COVID-19 CASES

Below is our dashboard on COVID cases. As of today, these cases seem to originate primarily outside of the school environment. Evidence indicates that the primary source of spread is coming from events outside of school, typically over the weekend. Thanks to the grace of God and the ongoing review of safety protocols, we are grateful that spread from school activities has been mitigated to the greatest extent possible.

ACTIONS WE TAKE WHEN NOTIFIED OF A POSITIVE CASE

In addition to the protocols and procedures outlined below in our reopening plan, when we are notified of a positive or presumptive positive case we do the following:

1. Notify Ingham County Health Department.
2. Encourage the family whose student has tested positive to notify all possible close contacts from activities outside of school.
3. Attempt to determine any possible close contacts of the case during the school day or at on-campus events during the 48 hours prior to the onset of symptoms and/or positive test (if the individual is asymptomatic), in accord with guidance from the health department.

1. This process may involve all or some of the following: gathering information from the involved family/student about the date of test and/or onset of symptoms, review of seating charts, review of physical classroom space, interviews with teachers regarding class activities, and review of indoor video footage.

4. Alert those families, whose students we can identify may possibly be considered a close contact about the case. Notification generally occurs via email and within 24 hours of receipt of notification from the initial family.  

ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE

We recommend taking action to help limit the spread of COVID-19, even if staff members or students are not experiencing symptoms:

• Wear a mask (covering mouth and nose) while in public places or if people who do not live with you must visit your home.
• Practice social distancing (maintaining a distance of 6 feet apart).
• Practice frequent handwashing (using soap for 20 seconds or hand sanitizer with 60% alcohol).
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or with the inside of your elbow and immediately wash your hands.
• Stay home if you are symptomatic.
• Answer the phone if the health department contacts you, as a contact tracer may be trying to reach you with important information.

This information does not mean you should quarantine or isolate. Those members of the School Community who were or are suspected to have been in Close Contact with a School Associated Case will be notified by Lansing Catholic High School and/or their local health department.

Thank you for understanding that, due to medical privacy laws, we are not able to release the names of the individuals with COVID-19. We will continue to communicate changes and updates with you.  With your participation, we believe we can maintain a safe environment while also providing quality in-person education.

COVID-19 Update Fall 2021

Highlights

• Lansing Catholic High School will offer in-person instruction.
• We will continue most of our sanitation protocols from 2020/21.
• Masks are required when inside school buildings as mandated by Ingham County Health Department.
• We will not mandate vaccines.
• We will follow all diocesan COVID-19 guidelines which can be found here.
• We will continue to update our COVID-19 Dashboard - which can be found above.

Details

Our response to the ongoing COVID pandemic is based upon our Catholic understanding of the human person, our partnership with families to provide an authentic Catholic education and the lessons we learned dealing with COVID in 2020/21. This understanding compels us to continue providing a safe environment for the entire well-being of our students, faculty, and staff. Our understanding of well-being includes spiritual, mental, physical, emotional, and social well-being. Because of this holistic approach, we developed our plans with the below aim:

• To conduct in-person learning as much as possible, with as few restrictions as possible.
• When restrictions are implemented, to start with those measures that are least intrusive to an effective learning environment and the well-being of our students, teachers, and staff.

This plan is also guided by our increased understanding of COVID-19: its limited spread in our highly mitigated school setting, current national and local data and research, and increased vaccination rates.

The guidance provided in this document may be updated at any time if new regulations are imposed by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) or the Ingham County Health Department.

What do families need to do?

Stay home if symptomatic. As an added precaution if someone in your household is exhibiting symptoms, regardless of vaccination status, please keep all students home until contagious illness is ruled out. Families must check their students for symptoms each morning. The most important precaution we can all take is to stay home if you have any symptoms. Not only will this help prevent the spread of COVID, but it will also help prevent the spread of all other illnesses. For a quick guide on when a student should stay home - click here. When in doubt, keep your children home, regardless of vaccination status.

Please note, that while we’ll continue to promote and encourage healthy distancing, enforcing spacing between students at all times of the day will be beyond our capacity. It is also important that all families encourage students to practice safety precautions both inside and outside of school. While we can make the school environment as safe as possible, reckless behavior outside of school jeopardizes the whole community!

Why not mandate vaccines?

All teachers, staff, and students at the high school have had ample opportunity to receive a vaccine, but for several reasons, we will not mandate vaccination as a condition of being in the school, nor will we ask staff or students to verify vaccine status.

Medical Advice. We are not medical professionals, therefore we do not offer medical advice to faculty, staff, or students. Those decisions must be left to families and their medical doctors.

Catholic Teaching. The Congregation For the Doctrine of the Faith’s “Note on the Morality of Using Some Anti-Covid-19 Vaccines” provides some perspective on Catholic teaching regarding COVID vaccination - paragraph 5 in this document provides a good summary:

5. At the same time, practical reason makes evident that vaccination is not, as a rule, a moral obligation and that, therefore, it must be voluntary. In any case, from the ethical point of view, the morality of vaccination depends not only on the duty to protect one's own health, but also on the duty to pursue the common good. In the absence of other means to stop or even prevent the epidemic, the common good may recommend vaccination, especially to protect the weakest and most exposed. Those who, however, for reasons of conscience, refuse vaccines produced with cell lines from aborted fetuses, must do their utmost to avoid, by other prophylactic means and appropriate behavior, becoming vehicles for the transmission of the infectious agent. In particular, they must avoid any risk to the health of those who cannot be vaccinated for medical or other reasons, and who are the most vulnerable.

How are you keeping the facility safe?

COVID infection occurs primarily through prolonged airborne exposure. We have improved all aspects of the LCHS HVAC system, including increased ventilation and filtration.

We’ll be adhering to the other measures proven to be effective:

• All faculty and staff will monitor their health and stay home if they are exhibiting any COVID-related symptoms, regardless of vaccine status.
• We will continue monitoring our two thermal cameras which monitor all hall traffic throughout the day for anyone who might be experiencing a fever.
• We have a designated isolation area for anyone exhibiting symptoms, with staff supervision.
• Hand sanitizer will be made widely available, including when students enter the building and in each classroom.
• Sanitizing the entire building throughout the week.
• Maintaining 3 feet of space between desks in all classrooms to the extent possible.

• Mass following the same diocesan guidelines applicable to all Lansing parishes.
• Educate students on social distancing expectations and healthy hygiene behaviors.