NEW ORLEANS — As predicted when the Louisiana Department of Health added public schools to the COVID-19 outbreak watch-list last week, the number of outbreaks and cases are slowly rising. There have been five outbreaks connected to schools and 26 cases, as of Wednesday.
“What we currently define as an outbreak is two or more cases in the same facility within 14 days,” Assistant State Health Officer Dr. Joseph Kanter said.
St. Charles Parish Public Schools recently reported two positive cases, one at Norco Elementary, the other at Destrehan High. Kanter said he expects numbers to increase everywhere as more schools begin to open.
“I’m not necessarily convinced that we’re going to have a large spike, but as day and day go by, the cumulative number goes up as it has with everything with COVID. We should expect that for sure,” said Kanter.
That expectation comes as significant potential COVID-19 exposure is being reported across the country, including in nearby Mississippi where a class of elementary students in Ocean Springs is under quarantine after a staff member tested positive.
UNC at Chapel Hill and Notre Dame scrapped in-person classes just days after students returned to campus because of increasing cases. At LSU, classes begin Monday and an online tracker from the university shows 22 cases of coronavirus connected to campus already.
“We haven’t had any of the very large outbreaks that we’ve seen on the news in other places, but again, schools are really just reopening in the past week or two. So, it’s something that we’ll be watching closely,” said Kanter.
The state’s largest school district, Jefferson Parish, is set to begin class next week, but schools offering a virtual option, which so far about 18,000 students are taking advantage of. School leaders are working to make sure safety protocols are followed.
“There really is not a script for COVID-19. We just have to make sure that our kids stay the top priority in all our decision making and how we keep everyone safe,” said Superintendent James Gray.
Gray said he can’t make guarantees, which is why preparation is crucial.
“The reality is that we have to be prepared for any level of closure at a moment’s notice,” the superintendent said.
If that happens, the state department of health will be working with schools on what happens next.
“I’m confident in our education partners, particularly in their commitment to doing the right thing,” said Kanter.
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