More than 600 Coast students test positive for COVID, up 80% in 3 weeks. Here’s the data.
More than 1,000 students and teachers on the Mississippi Coast have tested positive for the coronavirus last week, resulting in increased positivty rates since the last time schools reported data before Christmas break.
Over the three week period between Dec. 13 through Jan. 7, COVID-19 positivity rates shot up about 80% among students and 31% among teachers and staff on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
As many as 610 Coast students and 430 teachers tested positive for COVID last week, according to the Mississippi State Department of Health.
The health department’s latest data on cases and quarantines at schools shows a dramatic increase from last time the state published school data over Dec. 13-17, when as many as 50 Coast students and 15 teachers contracted the coronavirus.
A Sun Herald analysis of the state’s weekly report on COVID cases and quarantine numbers at schools found total figures for Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties. Because of the school district’s holiday breaks in December, only 70 schools among the three counties reported their numbers over Dec. 13-17, while 81 submitted their data to MSDH over Jan. 3-7.
The startling spike in positivity and quarantine numbers come as the highly transmissible omicron variant has quickly spread across the state, in less than a month accounting for nearly 100% of COVID cases in the state.
The new variant has triggered surges in COVID testing and positivity rates along the Coast, while the milder symptoms haven’t spiked hospitalizations as severely.
Top health officials encourage mask wearing in Coast schools amid the rapid spread but all eleven districts except for Moss Point do not mandate the facial coverings.
“The schools have historically been a reflection of what’s going on and we’re seeing a lot of community transmission right now,” Byers said. “So I anticipate that when schools get back, that we will see a substantial number of cases that are affecting school-aged kids,” State Epidemiologist Paul Byers said during a press conference before schools returned from Christmas break.
“Masks are going to be vital. We’ve recommended masks in the indoor school setting really this entire school year and last year as well. It’s going to be real tricky coming back.”
Across the three counties, 1,104 students and 105 staff were in quarantine last week. During Dec. 13-17, the counties had 53 students and 30 teachers in quarantine.
Between 203 and 430 staff had tested positive for COVID-19 last week, compared to the 3-15 over Dec. 13-17.
MSDH lists the number of positive cases as a figure of “1-5” when the number of cases in a school is five or less in order to protect individual privacy. The Sun Herald used that information to calculate lower- and upper-end possibilities for the number of COVID-positive students and staff in each county.
Positive cases among students ranged from 474 to 610 last week and 9 to 45 in December.
Here’s a look at positive and quarantine numbers for each county over Jan. 3-7 and Dec. 13-17.
HANCOCK COUNTY
January 3-7
- Students testing positive: 88-101
- Staff testing positive: 38-61
- Number of new outbreaks: 3
- Staff in quarantine: 24
- Students in quarantine: 299
Hancock High reported the highest number of positives among students, with 13, and 52 quarantined because of exposure. Six teachers contracted the virus.
Waveland Elementary reported the highest number of COVID cases among staff, with 15. Nine students tested positive while 28 were quarantined.
South Hancock Elementary School and Bay High School both reported 37 students out for COVID exposure.
December 13-17
- Students testing positive: 1-5
- Staff testing positive: 0
- Number of new outbreaks: 0
- Staff in quarantine: 0
- Students in quarantine: 8
HARRISON COUNTY
January 3-7
- Students testing positive: 216-300
- Staff testing positive: 73-233
- Number of new outbreaks: 0
- Staff in quarantine: 36
- Students in quarantine: 676
Harrison Central High School reported the highest number of positives among students, with 19, and 31 quarantined because of exposure. Between one and five teachers contracted the virus in the school.
Biloxi Upper Elementary reported the highest number of COVID cases among staff, with 13. Twelve students tested positive while 20 were quarantined in the school.
North Gulfport Elementary and Middle School reported 50 students out for COVID exposure, and Pass Christian Middle School reported 40 students out.
West Harrison High School, North Woolmarket Elementary and Middle School, Harrison Central High School, DeLisle Elementary and Bayou View Middle School all had over 30 students quarantine for COVID exposure.
Pass Christian School District, one of the last along the Coast to eradicate mask requirements, recorded a staff positivity rate from Jan. 3-7 of 2.07%, student rates of 1.12%, student and staff quarantine rates of 5.97%. They listed Harrison County’s positivity rate at 40%.
The district in early November agreed to end its mandatory mask requirement with the option to reinstate it if COVID transmission rates increase above a staff positivity rate of 2.5%, a student positivity rate over 1%, student and staff quarantine rate over 7% and a Harrison County positivity rate over 8%.
Meeting three of the indicators would move the district into a “masks strongly recommended” or “required” category.
Last week’s rates would move the students and staff into a mandatory mask category, though the district on their website noted that modifications to their mask policy would be based on two weeks of data, including the week after Jan. 3-7.
December 13-17
- Students testing positive: 7-35
- Staff testing positive: 1-5
- Number of new outbreaks: 0
- Staff in quarantine: 30
- Students in quarantine: 45
JACKSON COUNTY
January 3-7
- Students testing positive: 170-209
- Staff testing positive: 92-136
- Number of new outbreaks: 4
- Staff in quarantine: 45
- Students in quarantine: 129
Ocean Springs High School reported the highest number of positives among students, with 31, though zero were quarantined because of exposure. Nine teachers contracted the virus in the school, but zero were quarantined.
Ocean Springs Middle School reported the highest number of COVID cases among staff, with 13. Eighteen students also tested positive.
Escatawpa Upper Elementary, Kreole Primary, Magnolia Middle School and Moss Point High School recorded 20 or more students quarantined for COVID exposure.
Jackson County, the largest district on the Coast, is experiencing staffing and support services challenges “primarily” due to COVID staff absences and quarantines, according to Superintendent Dr. John Stryker in a letter sent to parents.
“We are currently able to staff our classrooms with existing staff, including subs and teacher aides. Transportation may be delayed, but we will ensure that all students are safely transported to and from school. We will continue to be prudent with our current COVID protocols and sanitation practices,” the letter reads.
The district currently has a student COVID positivity rate of 1.3%. Sixty-two of the district’s 1,300 staff members are out due to COVID, but 40 more are out for other reasons, according to the letter.
The district has not announced any changes to their COVID policies. Masks are not required in their schools.
“We feel that COVID is not going away, and similar to the flu and cold, we must have a process for keeping our students safely in school.”
Ocean Springs, another large Coast school district, reported a student positivity rate of 1.53% — 87 students have been positive since the start of the semester last week.
The district’s staff positivity rate is 7.30%, with 60 who have tested positive.
The district does not require students to quarantine for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s five recommended days after COVID exposure.
December 13-17
- Students testing positive: 1-5
- Staff testing positive: 2-10
- Number of new outbreaks: 0
- Staff in quarantine: 0
- Students in quarantine: 0
This article is supported by the Journalism and Public Information Fund, a fund of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation.
This story was originally published January 13, 2022 at 9:00 AM.
