These York County schools have two dozen or more active student COVID cases
On yet another record high COVID-19 counting period in South Carolina, K-12 schools saw more than 400 new cases the past three days. That includes several area schools with close to two dozen active student cases.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control updated its list of school cases Friday. There have been 5,279 cases (3,688 student, 1,591 staff) this fall. That figure is up from 4,813 cases at the most recent update on Tuesday.
The update came as South Carolina and Lancaster County each set new overall daily case records, and York County had its second highest daily count this year.
DHEC lists total school cases this fall. The agency also lists cases as fewer than five until they reach that figure.
Northside School of the Arts in Rock Hill was the only tri-county school to add its first case in the Friday update. Most schools, including all those in Fort Mill and Clover, already have cases listed.
Andrew Jackson and Indian Land high schools in Lancaster County each added their first staff cases. Both schools already had student cases. Andrew Jackson added one new student case Friday.
In the early weeks of DHEC publishing school numbers since Sept. 4, the only schools with five or more cases were high schools. High schools typically have higher student populations than elementary or middle schools.
Still, most of the higher case area schools are high schools. Student cases have been highest this fall at Clover (24), Nation Ford (17), Fort Mill (14), Rock Hill (14), Northwestern (11), Andrew Jackson (9), Lewisville (8), South Pointe (8), Catawba Ridge (6), Lancaster (6) and York Comprehensive (5).
Yet a growing number of elementary and middle schools appear near the top of the listing. Indian Land (7), Kings Town (7), Larne (5) and Springfield (5) elementary schools are there. So are Sullivan (6), Oakridge (5) and Saluda Trail (5) middle schools, along with York Intermediate School (6).
DHEC data lags behind what most area district themselves post either weekly, twice per week or daily. Those district numbers can be much higher.
Rock Hill schools
The Rock Hill School District lists active, weekly and total COVID cases. There are 60 new student and 17 new staff cases this week. There are 197 student and 101 staff cases this fall.
Rock Hill High School has 24 new student cases this week. No other school has more than seven. Rock Hill now has 47 student positives this fall, ahead of Northwestern (32) and South Pointe (22) high schools. Rock Hill has two new staff cases this week, and eight this fall.
Fort Mill schools
The Fort Mill School District only shows active cases on its list. Prior to its Friday update the Fort Mill site showed 59 student and 13 staff cases, including 19 student positives at Fort Mill High School to put it close to Clover and Rock Hill.
On Friday afternoon the district updated the list to show 54 student and 24 staff cases. Fort Mill High still has the most with 13 active student cases, more than twice any other school.
The district has 443 students and 56 staff in quarantine.
Clover schools
The Clover School District posts active and total fall cases. There are 43 active student cases. There are 13 active staff ones.
Clover High School has a tri-county high 27 active student cases. No other Clover school has more than four. Clover High also has two active staff cases.
Clover High now has an area high 76 student and 15 staff cases this fall. The Clover district has 137 student and 51 staff cases this fall.
York schools
The York School District shows active and total cases. There are eight active student cases, and seven staff ones. There are 151 students quarantined and 21 more isolated. There are 15 staff members quarantined and seven isolated.
This fall there have been 59 student and 32 staff cases.
York Comprehensive High School has the most active student (3), total student (26), active staff (3) and total (30) cases.
Lancaster County schools
The Lancaster County School District lists weekly data, but not by school. Last week there were 43 new positive cases among students and staff. There were 381 new quarantines. Student positives came from the high (16), elementary (5) and middle (4) school levels. Staff positives came from elementary (8), high (5), district staff (4) and middle (1).
Chester County schools
The Chester County School District lists total fall cases. There are 79 of them, 51 student and 28 staff. Lewisville High School by far has the most total (22) and student (17) cases. Three schools have six student cases each. Lewisville Elementary School (7) and Chester High School (6) have the most staff cases.
There are 10 new cases this week, after a weekly high of 18 cases last week.
This story was originally published December 11, 2020 at 4:48 PM.
