WSCC lab students test positive for COVID-19.

WSCC lab students test positive for COVID-19.

VICTORY TOWNSHIP – On Wednesday, December 2, West Shore Community College was notified of a positive COVID-19 case, in the college’s Technical Center, which will impact several students who were attending a class.

A student, who received a positive test on December 2, was considered to have close contact with two other students in the class and those students, if they become symptomatic, have been notified to seek testing and self-quarantine until December 14.

The college has also notified the remaining students in the course and will continue to encourage all college students to monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and practice social distancing and mask wearing in all public places.

While the college reverted to online classes for a majority of students, some face-to-face classes, due to the need to be in a laboratory setting, are allowed to continue. The emergency order by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (Emergency Order under MCL333.2253 – Gatherings and Face Mask Order) states that “limitations to gatherings do not apply to training of law enforcement, correctional; medical, or first responder personnel, insofar as those activities cannot be conducted remotely.”

College officials continue to work closely with the District Health Department #10 to identify close contacts of any college associated COVID-19 cases. Anyone identified as a close contact will be notified by the health department as a part of the contact tracing investigation process.

Due to medical privacy laws, the college and health department does not release the names of students with COVID-19.

“The college is committed to protecting the health and safety of our students, employees, and community during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Thom Hawley, executive director of college relations. “We continue to post notifications of confirmed cases on our webpage as they are received, along with other information related to our response to the pandemic.” The college’s web site is westshore.edu.

For answers to COVID-19 questions, visit the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 web site Michigan.gov/Coronavirus.