North Hills School District has had 13 positive tests since Sunday
The latest covid cases in the North Hills School District raise the total for the week to 13 — more than a third of the active cases reported since the start of the pandemic.
A teacher at Ross Elementary and a student at the middle school tested positive for the virus, the district reported late Wednesday.
Health systems in Western Pennsylvania have been bracing for a surge in cases that health officials have predicted will occur during the fall and winter.
Because of the time frame for when the student and teacher were last in the buildings and when they began experiencing symptoms, no changes to the current hybrid form of instruction are required.
The teacher was last in school on Nov. 10 but is asymptomatic. The test was administered on the recommendation of the teacher’s secondary place of employment where someone tested positive for the virus, district officials said.
While the teacher was in school Monday and Tuesday this week, a review of the case by the Allegheny County Health Department determined that no close contact with other staff members or students occurred.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines close contact as being within 6 feet of someone who has covid-19 for 15 minutes or longer.
The health department is not requiring changes to the instruction plan because the teacher and students were wearing masks and following social distancing guidelines while in the buildings.
The middle school student who was infected has not been in the building since Nov. 4.
The new cases bring the active total in the district to 21 — 15 students and six staff members, according to an online tracker created by the district.
Of the 21 active cases in the district, 13 have been reported since Nov. 8.
In addition to the most recent cases, the district reported two positive cases at the high school and one at the middle school on Tuesday.
Six cases were reported on Monday and two were announced on Sunday.
A total of 34 people in the district — 21 students and 13 staff members — have been infected with the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic.
Students have the option of dropping in-person instruction at any time and attending classes remotely.
Tony LaRussa is a TribLive reporter. A Pittsburgh native, he covers crime and courts in the Alle-Kiski Valley. He can be reached at tlarussa@triblive.com.
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