Jasper County schools close a class, extend mask requirement as omicron surges
Jasper County School District has shut down a class at Hardeeville Elementary School after three students tested positive for COVID-19, district officials announced Tuesday.
The rest of the school is still open, according to a district press release. Families in that class have been contacted, and the students in that class can return to campus on Jan. 18 with a negative COVID test result from Jan. 16 or later.
The Ridgeland Hardeeville High School varsity women’s basketball team quarantined last week after a player tested positive for COVID following a three-day tournament.
The school board also voted Monday to extend its mask requirement for another 30 days, making it effective through Feb. 11. That mandate has been in effect since October, following a tumultuous fall semester that included widespread quarantines, moves to remote-only learning, bus driver shortages and mandatory COVID testing for unmasked employees.
Jasper County logged 43 confirmed COVID cases and two probable infections Monday, according to DHEC. No new COVID-19 deaths were announced.
On Wednesday, South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control will release infection and quarantine data for schools last week, the first week back to class after winter break.
That data should show how severely the state’s omicron surge, which has led to record-breaking totals of new infections, is affecting classrooms.