Norwin covid cases continues to rise; near 100 post-Thanksgiving

The number of covid cases among Norwin’s students and staff continued to rise this week with an additional six cases reported on Friday.

The raised the number of cases reported to 31 this week — and pushing the post-Thanksgiving surge close to 100.

The school district said in a statement that two staff members — one at the high school and one at Hillcrest Intermediate — tested positive for coronavirus on Friday.

Two students at Stewartsville Elementary school were infected, as well as one each at the middle school and at Hillcrest, the district said.

Since the Thanksgiving break, Norwin has received reports of about 99 covid cases among students and staff. Since Thanksgiving, the number of confirmed covid cases in the North Huntingdon-Irwin-North Irwin area has risens by 60%, according to state health department data.

All of Nowin’s 5,300 students this week have received virtual instruction and will for the remainder of December and at least until Monday, Jan. 11.

The district has said that a return to the hybrid mode of instruction — two days in class and three days online — will depend on various factors regarding the level of covid transmission.

Students at the high school and middle school have received remote learning throughout December, but elementary and Hillcrest students did receive some instruction in the hybrid form this month.

Norwin said all of the contract tracing is finished for this latest round of covid cases. The district has said that previous contract tracing has not linked the spread of the infection to the schools.

The health department wants Norwin to uphold the 14-day quarantine standard for all staff members and students who have been close contacts of positive cases.