The Perfect Enemy | Some Maryland schools adjust amid uptick in COVID-19 cases

Some Maryland school districts are on alert amid an increase in positive COVID-19 cases.|| COVID-19 updates | Maryland’s latest numbers | Get tested | Vaccine Info ||No matter the ZIP code or the school district, positive COVID-19 cases continue to creep up just weeks after students returned to classes from spring break in both public and private schools. School administrators told 11 News they refuse to let their guards down with summer vacation more than a month away.Some schools have switched back to virtual instruction while others have ramped up efforts to keep school buildings free of COVID-19. Students at St. Joseph School in Cockeysville are learning from home for the remainder of the week for what officials called a surge in positive COVID-19 cases. The more than 300 students will remain in virtual instruction at least until Monday.Other schools in the region have not gone that far, but some officials admit there is reason for concern.”What’s really important is we are prepared and that we do everything we can to minimize transmission and keep our students and staff safe,” said Cleo Hirsch, executive director of COVID-19 response at Baltimore City Public Schools. “City schools has continued our rigorous COVID testing and contact-tracing program throughout the spring.”Over spring break, Baltimore City and Howard County public schools sent students home with COVID-19 test kits.School officials said they’ve all noticed an uptick in positive COVID-19 cases, but nothing compared to the spike in cases brought on by the omicron variant at the beginning of 2022.As of Wednesday, COVID-19 cases at school districts across the Baltimore region (click links for COVID-19 dashboards) include: Anne Arundel County: 202 casesBaltimore City: 388 casesBaltimore County: 360 casesCarroll County 70 casesHarford County: 273 casesHoward County: 127 casesHirsch said most school systems are playing from the same playbook.”As rates change in the community, of course, we see that change in our data as well, but again, with the testing we do every week, we are able to identify those cases, isolate them and move on so that the kids who are in school remain safe,” Hirsch said.One school official told 11 News he expected his district will experience some peaks and valleys when it comes to positive COVID-19 cases.

BALTIMORE —

Some Maryland school districts are on alert amid an increase in positive COVID-19 cases.

|| COVID-19 updates | Maryland’s latest numbers | Get tested | Vaccine Info ||

No matter the ZIP code or the school district, positive COVID-19 cases continue to creep up just weeks after students returned to classes from spring break in both public and private schools. School administrators told 11 News they refuse to let their guards down with summer vacation more than a month away.

Some schools have switched back to virtual instruction while others have ramped up efforts to keep school buildings free of COVID-19.

Students at St. Joseph School in Cockeysville are learning from home for the remainder of the week for what officials called a surge in positive COVID-19 cases. The more than 300 students will remain in virtual instruction at least until Monday.

Other schools in the region have not gone that far, but some officials admit there is reason for concern.

“What’s really important is we are prepared and that we do everything we can to minimize transmission and keep our students and staff safe,” said Cleo Hirsch, executive director of COVID-19 response at Baltimore City Public Schools. “City schools has continued our rigorous COVID testing and contact-tracing program throughout the spring.”

Over spring break, Baltimore City and Howard County public schools sent students home with COVID-19 test kits.

School officials said they’ve all noticed an uptick in positive COVID-19 cases, but nothing compared to the spike in cases brought on by the omicron variant at the beginning of 2022.

As of Wednesday, COVID-19 cases at school districts across the Baltimore region (click links for COVID-19 dashboards) include:

Hirsch said most school systems are playing from the same playbook.

“As rates change in the community, of course, we see that change in our data as well, but again, with the testing we do every week, we are able to identify those cases, isolate them and move on so that the kids who are in school remain safe,” Hirsch said.

One school official told 11 News he expected his district will experience some peaks and valleys when it comes to positive COVID-19 cases.