Active COVID clusters reported at 21 Triangle schools, including 14 in Wake County
COVID-19 clusters are climbing at North Carolina schools at the start of the new school year.
The latest state Department of Health and Human Services’ report of active COVID-19 clusters at schools and daycare centers lists clusters at 21 Triangle schools. Statewide, the report lists clusters at 125 schools and 36 daycare centers.
The reports lists clusters at 14 schools in Wake County, three in Durham County and one each in Granville, Harnett, Johnston and Orange counties.
The latest report, which was released Tuesday, comes as COVID numbers are soaring statewide. Some classrooms, individual schools and even entire school districts have temporarily switched to remote learning.
Schools are dealing with the delta variant, which is three times more contagious than the original coronavirus strain. The Wake County school system reported 1,134 cases in August and 281 so far this month on its COVID-19 dashboard.
There’s a time lag between when cases are listed on the state report. Schools may currently have more or less COVID cases than are show by DHHS.
Clusters in Wake, Durham and Johnston counties
In the Wake County school system, clusters were reported at Athens Drive High, Herbert Akins Road Elementary, Holly Grove Elementary, Knightdale High, Lake Myra Elementary, Lufkin Road Middle, Neuse River Middle, North Forest Pines Elementary, Salem Elementary, Sanderson High, Turner Creek Elementary and Vandora Springs Elementary.
Salem Elementary has the most cases of any school in the district on the report at 26. The school says the data on the state report is old and they were down to five cases last week.
Salem is followed on the state report by 21 cases at Sanderson High and 20 at Herbert Akins Elementary,
Two Wake County charter schools are on the state report. Cardinal Charter Academy at Wendell Falls is listed with 20 cases and Endeavor Charter School in Wake Forest at 19 cases.
The report also shows ongoing clusters at Easley Elementary, Pearsontown Elementary and Central Park Charter School in Durham; Central Elementary School in Orange County; and Corinth Holders High School in Johnston County.
Clusters were also found at Overhills High School in Harnett County and Falls Lake Academy, a charter school in Granville County.
The state defines a cluster as five or more related cases at a facility within a 14-day period.
The report comes as the Wake County school system is considering whether to require the COVID vaccination and regular COVID testing of school employees and student-athletes.
This story was originally published September 7, 2021 at 5:03 PM.
