Manatee County schools ‘staying the course’ as COVID-19 numbers start to decline

The number of new COVID-19 cases in local schools has slowed down over the last week, leading to cautious optimism in the Manatee County School District.

The school district reported 23 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, a steep decline from the peak in August, when local schools and district offices were reporting more than 100 cases every day.

A similar trend is playing out in school districts throughout Florida. Schools in Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Hernando counties reported a decline in COVID-19 cases, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

And in Miami-Dade County Public Schools, district leaders are easing the quarantine rules for staff and students after the number of infections and hospitalizations dropped in the surrounding community, the Miami Herald reported.

In Manatee County, no changes were expected as of Monday afternoon, said Kevin Chapman, the executive director of administration for district schools.

The district will continue to encourage vaccinations for those who qualify, and schools will continue to use social distancing, desk barriers and other safety measures when possible, Chapman said.

“We’re staying the course,” he said. “Obviously, everything’s been working and we want to keep this going.”

According to the Bradenton Herald’s archive of daily Manatee County School District reports, the number of COVID-19 cases hit a peak in late August. The same is true for the number of people sent into quarantine for exposures:

• Aug. 23 daily count, 141 cases and 411 quarantines.

• Aug. 24 daily count, 226 cases and 554 quarantines.

• Aug. 25 daily count, 166 cases and 573 quarantines.

• Aug. 26 daily count, 108 cases and 450 quarantines.

• Aug. 27 daily count, 93 cases and 221 quarantines.

• Aug. 30 daily count, 181 cases and 176 quarantines.

• Aug. 31 daily count, 119 cases and 231 quarantines.

While the numbers are still high compared to the previous school year, there was a drastic decrease over the last week:

• Sep. 9 daily count, 63 cases and 251 quarantines.

• Sep. 10 daily count, 38 cases and 68 quarantines.

• Sep. 13 daily count, 88 cases and 321 quarantines.

• Sep. 14 daily count, 41 cases and 129 quarantines.

• Sep. 15 daily count, 33 cases and 60 quarantines.

• Sep. 16 daily count, 26 cases and 112 quarantines.

• Sep. 17 daily count, 23 cases and 108 quarantines.

The downward trend is a hopeful sign during the ongoing pandemic and the struggle to continue in-person learning. Still, even after a sharp decline, the daily case numbers are higher than last year.

The 23 new cases reported on Friday — the total for a single day — stand in contrast to the average weekly case count of 14 in August 2020 and about 10 in September 2020.

This year, schools are forced to contend with the highly contagious delta variant, along with fewer options for online school and more students on local campuses.

But with help from everyone in the community, schools can maintain lower COVID-19 numbers and keep students in class, Chapman said.

“Stay home when you’re sick, get tested, get vaccinated if you can,” he said.

This story was originally published September 20, 2021 at 4:11 PM.