“The number of students quarantined and the COVID positive cases have significantly decreased during the implemented mask requirement the past three weeks within our district,” said Superintendent Paula Crew.
According to the school’s COVID-19 dashboard, the district reported four positive and seven quarantined cases from the past week.
Crew said Health Commissioner Charles Patterson with the Clark County Combined Health District said that the number of positive cases, breakthrough cases and hospitalizations related to COVID-19 were lower this past week. He said that “Clark County is more than likely coming down from the peak of the delta COVID variant.”
Due to this, the district decided to extend the masking requirement for another two weeks to help maintain that trend.
As a reminder, Crew said, if a student wearing a mask is identified as being a close contact to a student who tests positive for COVID-19 and is not displaying symptoms, they can remain in school. If a student was not wearing a mask and is identified as being a close contact, even if they are not experiencing symptoms, they will have to quarantine for 10 days.
Crew said the district anticipates to transition to optional masking on Oct. 18.
Springfield City Schools, Northeastern, Greenon, Global Impact STEM Academy, Northwestern Elementary and Urbana City Schools are the local schools to require masks. Clark-Shawnee Local Schools are requiring masks through Oct. 15 and Mechanicsburg Exempted Village Schools has short-term masking in place for certain classes.
Clark County had 18,814 coronavirus cases and 334 deaths as of Monday afternoon, according to the Ohio Department of Health. Champaign County had 4,754 cases and 64 deaths.
As of Monday, 65,022 vaccination shots have been given in Clark County, according to ODH. Just over 45% of the county’s total population has received at least one shot and just over 50% have been fully vaccinated.
In Champaign County, 15,777 vaccination shots have been given. Over 40% of the county’s total population has received at least one shot and over 37% has been fully vaccinated.
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