With COVID-19 positivity rates trending upward in Kent County, schools will be returning to full remote instruction on Monday, December 7, Kent County Public Schools announced in a press release.
According to KCPS, Pre-K through 8th grade and some smaller groups of students have been attending county schools.
Kent County COVID-19 positivity rates continue to rise and are currently aligned with statewide trends.
KCPS Superintendent Dr. Karen Couch said current numbers warranted a conversation with William Webb, Kent County health officer, to review the health metrics for administering in-person instruction to students.
The county’s COVID-19 average positivity rate the past two days exceeded the 5% threshold recommended by the state and the CDC. Meanwhile, new cases in the county are currently averaging 27.95 per 100,000, nearly double the 15 per 100,000 threshold (7 day moving average).
Kent County’s average positivity rate was 5.42% on Nov. 29, 6.49% Nov. 30, and 6.8% on Dec. 1. Before then, the county’s rate had last topped 5% on June 15.
The state’s 7-day positivity rate, meanwhile, topped 7% on Tuesday for the second day in a row. The rate had exceeded 7% on Nov. 18, 19, and 20, after not hitting that rate since June 10.
Maryland’s positivity rate has been more than 5% for 24 consecutive days and has topped 6% for 19 days.
According to statewide metric guidelines, the Kent County School System is now at high risk for COVID-19 transmission. Effective Monday, December 7, 2020, the Kent County Public Schools will move back into full remote instruction in all schools. All in-person extra-curricular activities including athletics will also be suspended until further notice.
Superintendent Couch and Mr. Webb plan to review COVID-19 trends and health metrics every week.
“The current data and trending will drive all decisions,” Couch said in a statement. “The health and safety of our staff and students is of utmost importance and Kent County COVID-19 statistics must align with statewide metric guidelines before a return to hybrid instruction will be approved.”
COVID hospitalizations statewide have increased by 51% over the past two weeks, and according to the state’s modeling, officials expect to reach a new record high for hospitalizations in the coming days, Gov. Larry Hogan said in a Tuesday press conference. More than 130 surge beds are currently in use at the expansion sites added in the spring.
The state has had more than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases daily for 29 straight days and more than 1,900 for seven of the past 8 days.
Hogan is requiring all hospitals to submit a patient surge plan by next Tuesday. The plan will address staffing adjustments, bed capacities, and reducing non-critical elective procedures.
For more information, go to the KCPS here.
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