COVID-19 spreads through Thurston County schools as cases spike
The COVID-19 delta variant, combined with an overall Thurston County vaccination rate that hasn’t pushed much beyond 50 percent, has resulted in a large spike in positive cases the past two months.
The previous monthly high for new cases in the county was 1,645 in December 2020. But that total was shattered over the summer when cases shot up to 3,057 in August, followed by 3,087 in September, Thurston County Public Health and Social Services data show.
That increase is now being felt in Tumwater, Olympia and North Thurston school districts. Some districts are tracking cases closely within their schools and posting that information online, while other districts are relying on the county to follow that information. But all are responding to confirmed cases and notifying families if it affects their child’s classroom.
Such was the message delivered to parents of a classroom at Mountain View Elementary in Lacey on Sept. 29.
“This letter is to inform you that an individual in your child’s classroom has been diagnosed with COVID-19. At this time, the class will remain open based upon isolation of the positive individual, contact tracing and quarantine in accordance with public health guidance, and appropriate building cleaning and disinfection being completed.”
Thurston County Public Health and Social Services is tracking cases and closures at area schools. However, the county defines “closure” in the following way: It could mean the closure of a school, classroom or a school bus, said county spokeswoman Magen Johnson. They have chosen a less specific route when referring to closures to protect the identities of those involved, she said.
Through Oct. 3, the Public Health and Social Services data shows the following for North Thurston Public Schools: one closure, two cases.
North Thurston spokeswoman Courtney Schrieve said the one closure was a classroom at an area elementary school. Since the beginning of the school year, North Thurston has had 108 positive COVID-19 cases, according to district data.
“We continue to coordinate with public health and our principals to ensure that we follow all the guidelines to keep our students and staff safe and keep schools open in-person to the best of our ability given the pandemic,” she said.
While a classroom closed at North Thurston, an entire school recently closed in the Tumwater School District.
Littlerock Elementary has suspended in-person learning until Oct. 14 because of an outbreak of COVID-19, the superintendent announced last week.
Sean Dotson’s message to families was posted on the Littlerock Elementary website.
“As directed by Thurston County Public Health and Social Services, we are suspending in-person instruction until Oct. 14 due to positive COVID-19 cases and an extraordinarily high number of students absent and experiencing symptoms or quarantined due to exposure,” his message read.
Tumwater and Olympia schools are tracking COVID-19 within their districts and sharing that information online.
In the case of Littlerock Elementary, it shows 16 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the past two weeks and 64 students have been quarantined as of Oct. 1. The number of students enrolled for in-person learning at the school is 323.
For the entire Tumwater district as of Oct. 1, the data shows there have been 59 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among students and two among staff, and 366 students and five staff have been quarantined as a result.
The Tumwater dashboard was updated over the weekend and now shows the number of cases and those quarantined has dropped. The district is now reporting 28 positive cases among students and two among staff, and 78 students and four staff have been quarantined as of Oct. 8.
“We have chosen this dashboard approach to give staff and parents information that we found is important to them,” spokeswoman Laurie Wiedenmeyer said. “Many watch these numbers closely, and from some I’ve talked to, they use the numbers — especially when they see an increase in their school — as an opportunity to remind and reinforce hand washing, masking, and distancing protocols with their children.”
In Olympia, the district is reporting 83 cases since the beginning of the school year and two cases among district staff.
Something to keep in mind: the confirmed cases announced by the three districts is a small fraction of the student body when measured against total enrollment. For example, more than 6,000 students are enrolled for in-person learning in Tumwater and there were 28 confirmed cases as of Oct. 8.
COVID-19 dashboard information
Tumwater School District: https://www.tumwater.k12.wa.us/
Olympia School District: Go to the main page at https://osd.wednet.edu/, then search under “student support” for the COVID-19 dashboard.
North Thurston Public Schools: The district doesn’t have a COVID-19 dashboard, but pandemic-related information can still be found on the main page of the website at: https://www.nthurston.k12.wa.us/.
Thurston County Public Health and Social Services: Go to https://www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/ and click on COVID-19 information for the dashboard and school information.
