Local health officials have been closely monitoring trends with coronavirus since the pandemic began — and even more so after Friday’s announcement of 45 new cases and a spike of 42 active cases.
There were small increases in the numbers for one cluster category. Colleges and universities went from 73 cases Thursday to 78 Friday. Gatherings stayed flat at six cases. However, schools went from nine total cases to 28 and community spread is apparently increasing. Lyon County Health Officer Renee Hively says a back-to-basics approach is needed now.
Emporia Public Schools reported two new cases in staff and nine others in students over the past week. Thirty-three people, nine staffers and 24 students, went into quarantine due to exposure. A second-grade class at William Allen White Elementary now has to move to remote learning through at least Nov. 6 after a cluster of at least two cases linked by time and location. There were also 13 exposures on district school buses, three for elementary students and 10 for middle school or high school students, after contact tracing among positive students over the past week.
USD 251 North Lyon County announced no new cases last week along with five new students in quarantine. USD 252 Southern Lyon County, meanwhile, will update its numbers Monday. For the week of Oct. 19-23, there were three positive cases in staff and one in a student. Four staffers and 23 students were in quarantine for that week.
Sacred Heart announced one staffer recently tested positive, causing another staffer to go into quarantine. There is no recent report from Emporia Christian School.
Friday’s new caseload was the largest single-day increase since the pandemic began in late March. The prior high was April 21 with an increase of 28 new cases.
Lyon County Public Health is lining up its quarterly conversation with the County Board of Health on Thursday. At this time, there’s no word on whether any new restrictions will be considered.
