Here’s how many cases of coronavirus are in SC K-12 schools as of Sept. 4
South Carolina has released the first round of statewide coronavirus case numbers for K-12 schools.
There are 158 total cases in S.C. schools, 89 of which are students and 69 of which are school employees, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Just because there was a positive case at a school does not mean the case was contracted at a school, DHEC said in a news release. The data are recent as of noon on Thursday.
The overwhelming majority of schools had no cases. For those that did have cases, none had more than 10 cases, according to DHEC data.
The school with the most cases, Jefferson Davis Academy — a private school in Barnwell County, had six student cases and fewer than five faculty cases. DHEC does not report specific student or faculty case numbers by school when the number of cases is less than 5, according to DHEC data.
These numbers, which include public, private and charter schools, will be updated every Tuesday and Friday, DHEC said.
While 158 total cases for more than 400 schools in the state is low, it’s worth noting that many schools have either not begun in-person classes or have not begun classes at all.
Schools that have not begun classes have seen positive cases in both faculty in students, according to DHEC data. That’s because a student or employee is added to the count if they attended school — or a school sponsored activity, such as sports — while in the infectious period.
Private schools have seen an increased demand because many parents are seeking a fully in-person education, while many large public school districts are starting virtually or are phasing in face-to-face classes.
While several private schools told The State they are prepared to briefly shift to online learning if necessary, the main draw to private schools amid the coronavirus is the small class sizes and in-person education.
Several private schools throughout the state, such as Cardinal Newman in Richland County, Foothills Christian School in Oconee County, Montessori West Christian School in Spartanburg County, Robert E. Lee Academy in Lee County, Marantha Christian School in Florence County, Wilson Hall in Sumter County, Colleton Prep Academy in Colleton County, and Coastal Christian Prepatory in Charleston have seen cases, but they number has been less than five, according to DHEC data.
The report comes after many school districts throughout the state, such as Lexington 3 in Batesburg-Leesville, resumed some degree of in-person classes Monday. However, school reopening plans vary throughout the state, so the case numbers will mean slightly different things depending on the school district.
Districts, such as York 1 in the city of York, have been in school for two weeks now. Some, such as Richland 1 and 2, are using online-only classes until coronavirus cases continue to decrease.
Other school districts, such as Beaufort schools, will not begin classes until Tuesday.
The number of coronavirus cases throughout SC is down from a peak earlier this summer. In July, it wasn’t uncommon for there to be more than 2,000 new COVID 19 cases in a day. In contrast, South Carolina recorded 1,511 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, which was higher than other day in the last two weeks.
Some experts worry case numbers could increase because of students returning to classes and people gathering for Labor Day, according to a previous article from The State.
This story was originally published September 4, 2020 at 3:59 PM with the headline "Here’s how many cases of coronavirus are in SC K-12 schools as of Sept. 4."