Monroe County School Corp. has had nearly 100 students and staff test positive for COVID-19 since returning to school in September, but the 0.5 cases listed on the district’s website has raised questions among the community.
Between Nov. 8 and Nov. 14, MCCSC recorded 2.5 positive cases among online students and staff and 11.5 positive cases among in-person students and staff. According to Dr. Andrea Mobley of MCCSC, the 0.5 is common notation in education.
“The .5 has been used when a student or teacher is in the building half of the time,” Dr. Mobley said in an email. “This mostly occurs at the secondary level for students who may spend part of their day at one of the high schools and part of the day at Hoosier Hills Career Center.”
Mobley said teachers who split their time between buildings also appear as 0.5 in the data.
READ MORE: MCCSC Continues Green Phase, Releases Number Of COVID-19 Cases In Schools
Cases are increasing in the district. More than 10% of MCCSC total COVID-19 cases were reported this week. Mobley said the school communicates with staff and families of students when an individual in their class tests positive. This communication includes any close contacts
The school defines close contacts per CDC guidelines as individuals within 6-feet for 15 minutes or more, had physical contact, had direct contact with respiratory secretions of the person, lives or stayed overnight with the person.
The district is currently in their “Green Phase,” and the metric committee will meet next week to determine the status of in-person school for the following weeks.
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