York, Lancaster and Chester county schools add COVID cases despite winter break
Two area schools reporting their first COVID-19 cases, and swelling case counts schools nearby, helped push state totals past milestone figures Tuesday.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control updated its list of COVID cases in public and private K-12 schools for the first time in a week. Student cases passed the 5,000 mark. Staff cases passed the 2,000 mark. There are now 7,202 listed cases (5,121 students, 2,081 staff).
The total count is up more than 500 cases in a week, even as schools aren’t meeting in person during the winter holidays.
The Southside Early Childhood Center in Lancaster County reported its first cases Tuesday. So did the Macfeat Laboratory School in Rock Hill. Both schools show fewer than five student cases.
Three more schools added their first student or staff cases, after having prior cases in the opposite column. Chester Middle School and the Central Child Development Center in Rock Hill have their first staff cases. The Applied Technology Center in Rock Hill has its first student cases.
DHEC data lists total cases this school year. They’re listed as fewer than five until they hit that point. There are now 34 schools in York, Lancaster or Chester counties with five or more cases. Only 13 are high schools.
The most student cases among high schools come from Clover (40), Rock Hill (24), Nation Ford (22), Fort Mill (18) and Northwestern (16). Indian Land Elementary School has the most among lower grade schools with 10, followed by Clover Middle School, Doby’s Bridge Elementary School, Kings Town Elementary School and Saluda Trail Middle School with eight each.
Six schools now have five or more staff cases. Rock Hill High School has seven. Clover, Lancaster, Lewisville and Catawba Ridge high schools have five each, as does Fort Mill Elementary School.
School districts report their own data, which typically are higher and more updated than the DHEC figures.
Rock Hill schools
The Rock Hill School District lists weekly and school year cases. The district paused the dashboard over winter break, until Jan. 3. It shows 227 student and 122 staff cases this year. Rock Hill (57), Northwestern (34) and South Pointe (25) high schools have the most student cases this school year.
Fort Mill schools
The Fort Mill School District updated its online listing Tuesday. The district shows 86 active student cases and 33 active staff ones. Catawba Ridge (17) and Nation Ford (12) high schools have the most active student cases. District transportation (5), Springfield Middle School (4) and Nation Ford (3) have the most active staff cases.
Clover schools
The Clover School District lists active and total cases. The site shows 23 active student and 26 active staff cases. It shows 182 student and 73 staff cases this school year. Clover High School is the only area school with more than 100 student cases this year, at 102. Clover High also has the most staff cases in the district, with 23.
York schools
The York School District dashboard shows 10 student and eight staff cases on its active list. There are 67 student and 39 staff cases this school year. York Comprehensive High School (27) and York Intermediate School (10) have the most student cases. Jefferson and Harold C. Johnson elementary schools have the most staff cases, with six each.
Lancaster County schools
The Lancaster County School District shows weekly totals on its list. The most recent week, which ended Dec. 18, shows 48 new positive cases and 583 quarantines. The district doesn’t list cases by school.
Chester County schools
The Chester County School District dashboard shows 92 cases this school year. There are 59 student and 33 staff cases. Lewisville (23) and Chester (16) high schools have the most total cases, followed by Lewisville Elementary School (10).
