St. Benedict the Moor elementary school moving to remote instruction

St. Benedict the Moor elementary school is moving to remote learning after eight covid-19 cases were reported in the school community over four days.

The school, located in Pittsburgh’s Hill District community, will be closed for in-person instruction from Friday through Sept. 27, the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh said.

The decision to pause in-person instruction was “made out of an abundance of caution and with the health and safety of all in mind,” the diocese said in a statement. The closure is also consistent with recommendations from the Allegheny County Department of Health, which suggests school closures based on the number of covid-19 cases reported during a 14-day period and the level of community transmission.

The school did not disclose whether the cases were among students, faculty or staff.

“With the unpredictable nature of covid-19 and the challenges it presents, it is in the school’s best interest to temporarily close our facilities for in-person learning at this time,” Audrey Bowser, the school’s principal, said. “Safety is our number one priority, and we take every precaution possible to keep our students, teachers, staff, and school community as safe as possible.”

This comes amid an uptick in pediatric covid-19 cases in Allegheny County. Kids ages 12 and under accounted for 12% of the county’s cases in August, up from 9% in June.

There has also been a recent increase in pediatric covid-19 hospitalizations, though health experts continue to recommend keeping students in the classroom when possible. The region’s hospital systems have reported an overall increase in demand for health care — which, combined with a nationwide staffing shortage and new surge of covid-19 cases, is causing longer wait times at hospitals. UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh on Friday unveiled an outdoor medical tent meant to expand their emergency department capacity.

Several other schools — including Highlands Middle School, Apollo-Ridge Middle School and Dickson Preparatory STEAM Academy in Swissvale — have also temporarily shifted to virtual learning because of covid-19 cases in the schools.