80 Hanford students ordered to quarantine. More COVID cases in other schools

About 80 Hanford High students are quarantining after coming into close contact at school with someone with COVID-19.

In less than a week, four students have tested positive for the virus at the school, according to the district’s COVID dashboard.

In Pasco, three classrooms were closed this week at three schools, including Chiawana High, a middle school and an elementary school after a student in each class tested positive.

And Kennewick also is seeing more students and staff with COVID than in previous weeks.

This was the first week of full-time, in-person learning for most students in Richland and Kennewick and for Pasco’s middle and high school students.

The move came after the state cut the distance students needed to be apart in classrooms from 6 feet to 3 feet. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists a “close contact” for possible infection as anyone who comes within 6 feet of a person with COVID-19.

While 80 students were sent home from Hanford, so far, none of the students quarantining has developed symptoms, said Ty Beaver, the district’s communication director.

“We are working with the Benton-Franklin Health District to determine when they can return to in-person learning,” said Beaver. One after-school event also was canceled.

State guidelines say students need to be quarantined for 14 days after their contact. If they develop symptoms during those first 10 days, they need to remain in quarantine and get tested.

If someone is fully vaccinated, they don’t need to go into quarantine, according to the guidelines.

Quarantined students are still attending classes remotely.

Number of cases

The three school districts saw a steady number of COVID-19 cases among students and staff during the week, according to their public dashboard reports.

In addition to the three cases at Hanford High, the Richland district also had a staff member contract COVID-19 at Leona Libby Middle School.

Kennewick reported seeing an increase in the number of cases of students and employees getting sick.

They reported 19 cases last week compared to 16 during the previous two weeks. Cases last week involved two elementary school staff and 17 students.

Pasco saw a similar jump.

The district reported 39 cases last week compared to 25 over the prior two weeks. The most recent cases included six employees and 33 students.

As a result, Pasco closed classrooms at Chiawana High School, Ochoa Middle School and Columbia River Elementary.

Increasing county rates

Benton and Franklin counties have been seeing an overall increase in the rate of COVID cases.

Franklin County had 259 cases per 100,000 people for the two-week period ending on April 16. Benton County had 187 cases per 100,000 during that period.

State officials have been giving local school boards more control over when and how students can return to classrooms.

The Benton Franklin Health District said the state guidance prioritizes in-person learning no matter how high the community transmission rate.

While the health district has seen outbreaks show up in schools, they did not report any this week.

Health Officer Dr. Amy Person has said the schools don’t appear to be influencing the rate of COVID-19 in the community.

Beaver confirmed that’s what they are seeing — that students and staff contract COVID in the community and bring it into schools.

“Our schools have not contributed to any community spread from these incidents and that is due to our procedures where we have individuals stay home until we can be sure they also have not become ill and had a chance to spread the virus,” he said.

This story was originally published April 24, 2021 at 2:09 PM.