CLARKSBURG, W.Va. – Harrison County slipped into orange when the official school metric map was released Saturday. The change in status moves classes online and limits extra curricular activities to controlled practices or activities.
On Friday, the daily infection rate for the county was nearly 8 percent. Harrison County COVID cases have been climbing steadily since the Labor Day holiday and the reopening of schools. According to Health Department administrator Chad Bundy, he and his staff are tracking ten outbreaks in the county.
“Where I think we’re at now is we have mass community spread of COVID-19,” Bundy said on WAJR’s Talk of the Town,” We need to look at community mitigation efforts and what we need to do to try to suppress the disease.”
Officials plan to increase testing in order to isolate, track and stop the spread of COVID-19. An early analysis of contact tracing estimates that 10 percent of people cause 80 percent of new infections. The numbers validate increased testing efforts to find asymptomatic people who are spreading the virus.
“We’re up to almost ten now,” Bundy said,” Within those outbreaks we have schools, churches represent a significant number of cases and fitness centers.”
On Friday, 300 COVID-19 tests were administered at the Robert C. Bryd High School in Clarksburg, those results will begin coming into health department officials Monday. Another large-scale event is being organized for later this week.
“It really gives us a snapshot of where we are as far as a community and community spread,” Bundy said,” It’s even more than an opportunity to open the county based on testing, but public health wise it tells us where we stand as a community.”
To date, students at West Milford Elementary and Liberty High School have tested positive along with an adult associated with the cheerleading program at the Bridgeport Middle School.
Due to the change in status, Harrison County Schools superintendent Dora Stutler said classes will be conducted online using the learning management system- Schoology.
“Live conferences on Schoology, they can record lessons and put them on Schoology, they can reach out and email back-and-forth among parents and students” Stutler said on Talkline,” It really provides everything we need.”
Before the shift to online learning this week, food distribution for families on Fridays only. Now, food distribution events will be held on Tuesday and Friday.
“That’s when kids eat and get good meals, so why would we stop that just because we’re not in school” Stutler said,”I just think it’s part of our duty to do that and if we can provide the meals, we have the food available so why wouldn’t we do that.”
Officials will monitor COVID trends and Stutler says the plan is to return to classrooms when they get the go ahead from health officials.