Walla Walla shuts down schools over soaring COVID cases, as Tri-Cities looks to reopen more
A spike in the number of new COVID-19 cases is sending Walla Walla students home for two weeks.
The move comes as Tri-Cities schools work to bring more elementary students back into classrooms and districts are wrestling with when and how to reopen for middle and high school students
Walla Walla has seen a five-fold increase in cases in recent weeks, said a school district news release.
On Monday, the county reported 109 new cases since Friday.
It’s not immediately clear what is driving the upswing, but officials say the outbreaks have not been in the schools. However, many employees and students are getting sick or exposed.
Already, 24 staff and 12 students are isolated at home because of exposure in recent weeks.
The Walla Walla School District had allowed some special needs students and career and technical education students to return to in-person learning, and was planning on resuming some athletic activities on campus.
Health officials recommended the district hold off on the sports activities. The school district’s plan also recommended they stop teaching classes on campus. The closure will last for two weeks.
“We certainly hoped we would never be in this position, but these soaring case counts and recommendations warrant we respond accordingly to help curb COVID spread across our community,” said Superintendent Wade Smith.
“The quicker we can get case counts back under control, the quicker we can transition students back to campus,” he said.
The state reported that there was 260 new cases for every 100,000 people in Walla Walla County between Oct. 6-19.
The state Department of Health has recommended that schools wait to move to hybrid learning until the rate of new cases is 75 per 100,000 over a two-week period.
After having a long stretch with a low amount of cases, the county is seeing transmission at social and religious gatherings, businesses and long-term care facilities.
The Public Health Officer Dr. Larry Jecha is asking people to take responsibility and not let their guard down.
The increase in cases has not affected Burbank, according to the county. The Columbia School District was one of the first in the Tri-Cities area to reopen for hybrid learning for all students.
New Tri-Cities cases
The Kennewick School District reported Monday that seven more elementary students and one employee have tested positive for COVID.
That includes three students at Fuerza, two at Washington and one each at Cottonwood and Sage Crest. The employee worked at Ridge View.
In all, 21 employees and 14 students who have been in district buildings or facilities have reported testing positive for the virus since late August.
On Monday, the Richland School District reported its first student with a positive virus test. The student attends Orchard Elementary.
Five Richland school employees who had been inside buildings since mid-October also reported positive COVID tests.
Up to date numbers have not been released by the Pasco School District.
Benton Franklin Health District said all of the cases have come from outside of the public and private schools rather than being passed between students and staff within the schools.
The latest case rate for Benton County confirmed by the Washington state Department of Health is 152 cases per 100,000 over the two weeks ending Oct. 19.
Preliminary data shows the Benton County case rate will increase to as high as 185 cases per 100,000 over the two weeks ending Oct. 26.
For Franklin County the latest case rate confirmed by the state is 264 cases per 100,000 over the two weeks ending Oct. 19.
The Benton Franklin Health District continues to support opening schools, saying that the potential risk to students is lower than the cost of having them not in school. Health Officer Dr. Amy Person has said students do need to wear masks and make sure they keep a 6-foot distance.
Kennewick elementary students have been back in class since mid-October. The district has held off from bringing back middle and high school students until February.
Richland’s preschoolers and kindergartners started back in class last week and first and second grade are returning this week.
There are no plans for bringing back middle and high school students.
In Pasco, preschoolers through second graders head back to class starting Nov. 9. The reset of the elementary students will return to classrooms Nov. 16.
Franklin County’s high transmission rates means the district is putting in an extra level of protection. Students will only be in school for half a day for the two days that they’re in class each week.
This story was originally published November 2, 2020 at 5:32 PM.