52 post-spring break COVID cases reported in Henrico schools, but few quarantines required
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Thirty-three Henrico County public schools reported a total of 52 cases of COVID-19 in the week following the school system’s spring break, but those cases resulted in only 40 people entering quarantine, according to school system data. None of the cases involved transmission within schools, according to the school system.
Eleven schools reported more than one case, with Freeman High and Longdale Elementary (four apiece) and Holladay and Pemberton elementaries (three apiece) reporting the most.
All of the cases were reported between April 13 and April 19. They brought to 174 the total number involving the county’s public schools since schools began a staggered reopening Feb. 22. Overall, 934 people have entered quarantine as a result of those cases. Only five cases were confirmed to have involved transmission on school grounds, according to the school system.
Among the post-spring break cases, one involving extracurricular or sports activities at Hermitage High required 11 people to quarantine, and four labeled “in-school” cases at Freeman High prompted nine to quarantine. Two cases at Seven Pines Elementary (eight) and one at Sandston Elementary (four) also prompted more than two quarantines each.
But 39 of the 52 cases required no one to quarantine. That’s a big change from earlier this spring, when single cases at a number of schools routinely prompted 10 or more people to enter quarantine.
It was unclear immediately what prompted the change, though one possibility is that the new cases turned up in people who opted not to return to schools in person the week following spring break, thereby not impacting others.
The school system isn't crediting any singular reason for the dramatically reduced number of quarantines, Henrico Schools spokesman Andy Jenks told the Citizen, but said officials have been confident in their mitigation efforts since school restarted in person.
"Each case is unique, and we all need to stay vigilant as we finish out the school year, to include the in-person learning and the spring sports and activity seasons that we want to have," he said.
