20 covid cases reported at Hempfield Area, district to comply with state's mask mandate

Hempfield Area School District, which is expected to comply with the state’s mask mandate for K-12 schools next week, reported several new covid-19 cases during the first full week of classes.

There are 20 active cases among students and staff in eight of the district’s nine school buildings, according to a covid-19 tracker on Hempfield Area’s website. That’s up by nine cases since Monday, when 11 confirmed or probable cases were reported in six school buildings.

Six of the cases are at Hempfield Area High School; there are three each at Harrold Middle School, Maxwell elementary and Wendover Middle School; there are two at West Hempfield Elementary School; and there is one each at Stanwood elementary, West Hempfield Middle School and West Point elementary.

There are no cases at Fort Allen Elementary School.

Of the reported cases, 19 are students, and one is a staff member.

The tracker reports confirmed or probable cases among students and staff for the most recent rolling 14-day period.

Hempfield began the year with a mask-optional policy for students in school buildings.

However, earlier this week, the Pennsylvania Department of Health announced it is mandating masks for students, teachers and staff in K-12 schools. The order, which covers schools, early learning programs and child care facilities, goes into effect Tuesday.

In a letter posted on the district’s website Wednesday, Superintendent Tammy Wolicki said the district is required to adhere to the mandate, meaning teachers, students, staff and visitors are required to wear a mask in school buildings regardless of vaccination status. Masks will continue to be required on school buses, according to a federal mandate.

At Hempfield, students will not be required to wear a mask during outdoor play, recess or physical education activities in accordance with the order. Other exceptions are when students are eating or drinking or when wearing a face covering creates an unsafe condition to operate equipment or execute a task.

“I understand that some parents are extremely upset about the mandate,” Wolicki wrote in the letter. “Please know that your child’s teachers, principals, bus drivers, other school staff and the school board did not make this decision. These individuals are required to support the mandate, regardless of their personal feelings.”

When covid cases are reported in the district, a protocol that is based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is followed.

The protocol states that a student who tests positive for covid-19 is to remain in home isolation. They may return to school once 10 days have passed from the start of their symptoms, as long as their symptoms have improved and they are fever-free for 24 hours. Members of the infected student’s household and staff are advised to quarantine.

Students who were within 3 to 6 feet of an infected student in a classroom are not considered to have had close contact if both students correctly wore masks throughout the period of exposure.

“The wearing of masks by students will lead to fewer quarantined students due to close contacts,” Wolicki said in the letter. “We continue to make adjustments in many of our classrooms to space students 3 feet apart, when feasible.”

It was not immediately clear how many students at Hempfield Area are quarantined.

“Your understanding as you prepare your child for the change next week is greatly appreciated as we all work together to provide the best possible education for our students despite the challenging circumstances,” Wolicki said of the mask mandate.