Norwin reports 13 more coronavirus cases; pushes total to 78

The spike in coronavirus cases among Norwin’s students and staff continued this week with the school district reporting 13 more on Monday — 10 students and three staff members.

On Monday, three students each at the high school and at Stewartsville Elementary reported they tested positive for coronavirus along with two students at Hillcrest Intermediate and one each at the middle school and Sheridan Terrace Elementary. Two staff members tested positive at Sheraden Terrace and one at the high school also tested positive for coronavirus.

The students and staff members will not return to school until they have completed isolation procedures, the district said.

The state Department of Health, in coordination with the school nurses, is in the process of completing contact tracing. The schools will be sanitized before students and staff return on Tuesday.

The increase in cases mirrors the rise in confirmed virus cases in the Norwin community, which saw a 10% increase in coronavirus cases from Nov. 16-23.

Since classes began Aug. 31, Norwin has had 78 covid-19 cases among students and staff, 22 of which are considered active, according to the district. Superintendent Jeff Taylor told the school board on Nov. 16 that the district had 51 cases.

Taylor told the school board that the quarantining of students and staff, from a period ranging from 14 days to 28 days, has presented difficulties in keeping the school buildings open. It is difficult to find substitute teachers and paraprofessionals to fill in for vacancies among the staff.

Taylor said on Nov. 16 that none of the persons who caught the virus became infected at the schools, based on contact tracing.

Norwin’s decision to keep teaching students in a hybrid manner — two days of in-person instruction and three days of virtual learning — both came under fire and got support from some parents who commented during the school board meeting.

Thousands of people crowded Main Street in downtown Irwin on Nov. 19 for a holiday parade. Some people wore masks, others did not.

More information, visit www.norwinsd.org/CovidTracker/. The covid-19 Tracker displays the number of active and resolved cases at each school building, trend data for new cases and quarantine information. The quarantine information is updated weekly.