Hempfield's covid numbers higher because its tracker covers 14-day period

Despite more than 180 cases being reported on the Hempfield Area School District’s covid tracker, a large number of students and staff who make up those cases could already be back in school after new quarantine guidelines were released last month.

The tracker covers a 14-day rolling period and reflects the number of individuals who were in school while contagious. It does not account for the new guidance, which states that people who tested positive for covid, or who were identified as a close contact, do not need to quarantine for more than five days as long as they are symptom-free.

That means that of the 184 cases among staff and students reported in Hempfield Thursday, 157 were on day six of their quarantine period and could have returned to school as long as they were no longer showing symptoms, said Superintendent Tammy Wolicki. If the tracker reflected a five-day period, there would have been closer to 27 covid cases.

Similarly, the high school had the highest number of cases, 73, out of district buildings. However, 62 of those reported were likely back in school depending on their symptoms, Wolicki said. If the tracker covered a five-day period, there would have been around 11 cases in the high school as of Thursday.

Across Westmoreland County, districts have altered their trackers to reflect a five-day period as guidance continues to change.

“We have had discussions with other school districts and are aware that some have adjusted their trackers to account for a five-day period,” Wolicki said.

According to the Norwin School District website, their tracker displays the number of students and employees who were infections while in school or at a school-sponsored event. The website states that a positive case is considered active for five days, in accordance with state guidance.

The district’s covid tracker on Friday reflected 22 active cases over the past five days. Of those, 17 are students and five are staff.

Greater Latrobe and Jeannette City school districts both update their tracker every Friday. In Latrobe, cases are removed from the tracker when the quarantine period ends.

Similarly, the Penn-Trafford School District tracks cases over a 10-day period. Derry Area and Mt. Pleasant Area are among districts whose trackers cover a 14-day period.

It was not immediately clear if Hempfield could change their tracker to account for the new guidance.

The district is set to consider other covid-related changes during a school board meeting next week.

On Monday, school board members will consider two amendments. The first would reinstate mandated masking. The second amendment would eliminate barring students from school after they have had close contacts with positive cases at school but who have not tested positive for covid or show any symptoms, regardless of vaccination status.