Christian County Public Schools will return to in-person instruction on Tuesday, Jan. 19, according to a news release Thursday from the district.
The district cited decreases in COVID-19 cases within the community, including fewer staff cases and quarantines, as well as patient capacity at Jennie Stuart Health returning to a “normal wintertime level.”
All students will be required to wear masks, social distance when possible and follow all other Healthy at School guidelines, according to the release.
Sports and extracurricular activities will resume Monday.
Average COVID-19 hospitalizations remain high
While the daily count was down, the seven-day average of COVID-19 hospitalizations on Thursday was 36 — which before a week ago, was the highest the number had ever been. On Jan. 5, when the district initially delayed the return to in-person instruction, the seven-day average was 30. When it was further postponed days later, the average was 38.
As of Thursday, there were 29 coronavirus patients hospitalized at Jennie Stuart, according to hospital spokeswoman Selina Staub. The number was down from a record high of 42 on Saturday and Sunday.
Beth McCraw, the hospital’s vice president of nursing and clinical services, has emphasized throughout the pandemic that COVID-19 patients require significantly more resources — specifically, staffing resources, which are already strained — than typical patients. From Nov. 13 through Jan. 7, at least 35% of all patients at Jennie Stuart were hospitalized with COVID-19, according to federal data.
Hoptown Chronicle has requested additional information from the hospital regarding the most current capacity levels available.
COVID-19 cases are down from record levels, but higher than when schools were last in-person
In the last week, the Christian County Health Department has confirmed an average of 46.1 cases of COVID-19 each day. It’s the lowest the number has been so far this month but still higher than it ever was when students were learning in-person.
Christian County public school students have been learning remotely since Nov. 20, when Gov. Andy Beshear issued an executive order that required district in red zone counties shift to remote instruction. Prior to that, the middle and high schools were operating on a hybrid model that rotated between in-person learning and virtual, at-home instruction. So, students were on campus just a few days each week.
The district’s new advisory hybrid plan, under which students will return Tuesday, instruction is held in person five days a week. The model resembles “in-person NTI,” district officials have said.
School staff begins vaccination process
Christian County Public Schools staff received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday and Wednesday, as the health department began gradually making vaccinations available to local residents who fall within phase 1b of the state’s distribution plan.
Although 802 of the district’s 1,200 staff signed up to receive the vaccine, only approximately 500 — or about 40% of school staff — received their first dose this week, Rittenhouse confirmed, noting “some changed their mind, were quarantined, or just couldn’t make it for some reason.”
“We will make arrangements with CCHD for those who still want the vaccine in the near future,” he added.
The district plans to continue reviewing COVID-19 data daily and will update parents and shareholders as necessary, according to the release.
Julia Hunter is the engagement editor for Hoptown Chronicle. Reach her at julia@hoptownchronicle.org.
