A holiday break provided no respite from the spread of COVID-19 to students and educators at schools throughout Indian River County as the state Health Department reported 45 new cases last week.
A total of 32 students, one staff member and 12 unknown people associated with 20 public and private schools in the county tested positive for COVID-19 between Dec. 20 and Dec. 26.
That compared to 47 cases involving 41 students, three staff members and three unknown people during the week of Dec. 13 through Dec. 19, the last week before winter recess.
Overall, there have been 355 cases of COVID-19 in 33 public and private schools in Indian River County during the first half of the school year, according to the report. The virus has infected 277 students, 23 staff members and 55 unknown people.
A student at St. Edward’s School tested positive for COVID-19 during the week of Dec. 20 to Dec. 26, bringing the total number of cases at the barrier island prep school to 12, the report shows.
Three more students at St. Helen Catholic School in Vero Beach tested positive for COVID-19 between Dec. 20 and Dec. 26. So far this school year, the K-8 school has had 22 cases involving 18 students, two staff members and two unknowns.
Suncoast Primary School in Gifford saw its first case of the year between Dec. 20 and Dec. 26, when a student tested positive.
Altogether, private schools in the county had five COVID-19 cases last week, all involving students, the report shows. Five private schools have had a total of 43 cases this school year, 33 involving students.
There were a total of 40 new COVID-19 cases at 17 public and charter schools between Dec. 20 and Dec. 26. That includes 27 students, one staff member and 12 unknowns.
