Westmoreland County coronavirus transmission remains 'substantial' for 2nd week

Westmoreland County ended the week with a “substantial” level of coronavirus cases, which means local school officials will have to decide whether to follow state recommendations to switch to virtual learning for all students.

Data released Friday by the state Department of Health lists about 124 cases of the virus per 100,000 people in the county over the previous seven days, beginning Oct. 16. That exceeds the 100-case benchmark that places a county in a substantial level of coronavirus transmission, up from a moderate level.

There were 64 new cases reported Friday, bringing the county’s known case total to 3,900.

It was the second consecutive week Westmoreland found itself in the substantial category, up from the previous moderate level in the three-tiered Early Warning Monitoring System. State health and education officials have indicated that would result in their recommendation for schools in the county to revert to the same full-time virtual learning model introduced in March, with the arrival of the pandemic.

It’s up to local school officials to determine whether to follow that recommendation, while weighing the safety of students and staff and potential liability.

Official state confirmation of the county’s substantial status may not arrive until Monday, but Derry Area School District already has extended the existing pandemic-related closure of its schools through Oct. 30.

Derry Area closed its schools Oct. 13 and switched to full-time remote instruction after five district staff members tested positive for the coronavirus. The closure was to have ended Oct. 16 but was extended for another two weeks as cases increased and the level of transmission rose in the county and school district.

Gregory Ferencak, director of secondary education, reported Friday that combined student and staff cases stand at 13, with a total student population of about 1,800. In addition, the positivity rate among the eight ZIP codes the district crosses averaged 15.5%.

“We know we’ll be ‘substantial’ the following week,” he said. “We don’t want to risk opening against the recommendation of the Department of Education and the Department of Health.”

At Yough School District, students who have opted for in-person instruction will return to their classrooms Monday while district officials await verification of the county’s substantial status.

According to a letter to parents from Yough Superintendent Janet Sardon, the district plans to move all students to virtual instruction beginning Wednesday. Students will have the day off Tuesday as teachers prepare for the instructional switch.

“We will remain in the full remote instruction program until the county receives a moderate designation for two consecutive weeks,” Sardon wrote.

Matthew Harris, superintendent of Penn-Trafford schools, said his district intends to continue with its current plan of educating students. The high school is on a hybrid model of in-person and online education, while elementary and middle school students attend in person four days a week.

The school board still plans to discuss the high school hybrid model at its Nov. 2 meeting. A vote to return the high school fully to in-person instruction was postponed at the Oct. 5 meeting after more coronavirus cases were reported.

To date, the district has had 24 cases total. The latest ones were reported Tuesday. The district has temporarily closed four schools in the past month due to infections.

“…If necessary, we will continue to close buildings. If the state recommendation becomes a mandate, (Penn-Trafford) will obviously follow the mandate. We certainly understand if you are not comfortable sending your child to school under these circumstances,” Harris said in a letter to parents. “You always have the option at any time to choose … remote instruction.”