We follow guidance from the PA Department of Health on responding to COVID-19 cases in our schools. The following guidance was provided to schools in the summer, though some guidance continues to change. As always, we aim to err on the side of caution.
Level of Community Transmission in the County | Number of Cases of COVID-19 Within a 14-day Period | Number of Cases of COVID-19 Within a 14-day Period | Number of Cases of COVID-19 Within a 14-day Period |
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Please note: This is guidance only. DOH has wide discretion in advising schools on possible closures. |
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Low |
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Moderate |
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Substantial |
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* If case investigations, contact tracing, and cleaning and disinfecting can be accomplished in a faster time frame, the length of closure time may be shortened.
SDoL COVID Data Hub
SDoL also monitors local health data to determine the timing and pacing of the district’s phased return to limited in-person instruction. The school board approved a Health Data Indicator Table to guide the district’s phased return to limited in-person instruction. Please note, these data are a guide. The district balances health data against academic and social needs of students.
The health data indicators outlined in the SDoL Health Data Indicator Table are monitored by the district administration on the SDoL COVID Health Data Hub.
Weekly Incidence Rate
The weekly incidence rate (total number of new cases over the past seven days, per 100,000 people) and 14-day average of the weekly incidence rate (14-day average of the total number of new cases over the past seven days, per 100,000 people) are calculated based on the new cases reported each day by the Department of Health (DOH). In order to ensure that the district administration is reviewing the most up-to-date data, this metric is calculated on a rolling basis, so each day’s metric reflects the new cases from the previous 14 days.
Case Rate Positivity
The positive case rate percent positivity is also reported by the DOH and is posted to the COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard each Friday. Some private providers (e.g. Wellspan, LGH) post positivity rates of their own, but these rates are based only on symptomatic patients tested by those providers, while the positive case rate percent positivity published by the DOH on the COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard provides a comprehensive view of the positivity rate, as it includes all tests conducted by all providers.
Health Data Indicator Table
Level of Community Transmission | Incidence Rate Per 100,000 Residents (most recent 7 days) | Average of Incidence Rate (most recent 14 days) | PCR Percent Positivity (most recent 7 days) | Recommended Instructional Models |
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Substantial | ≥100 | ≥100 | ≥10% | Full Remote Learning |
Moderate - Level 1 | 10-99 | 61-99 | 5% to <10% | Full Remote Learning |
Moderate - Level 1 | 36-60 | Phased Return to Limited In-Person Instruction | ||
Moderate - Level 1 | 10-35 | Full Blended Learning | ||
Low | <10 | <10 | <5% | All In-Person Learning |
The Health Data Team’s Executive Summary and PPT:
A recording of the presentation, discussion and board vote:
Data Set & Sources
All data published on the SDoL COVID Health Data Hub and reviewed by the district administration and START Plan teams is directly from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and is based on Lancaster County data.
The decision to use Lancaster County data was due to a variety of factors, including the fact that zip codes do not align to school district boundaries, SDoL staff reside in both Lancaster City and Lancaster County, and students, parents, and community members in Lancaster City work, shop, and travel throughout Lancaster County on a daily basis. By using County data, the district administration can get a comprehensive view of the spread of the virus through our entire community, not just within the limits of the City of Lancaster.