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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. February 2, 2022:
A cross section of school district positives recorded since September seems to indicate that positive tests for covid among students is up from last year’s levels.
In the White Plains City School District of 1,874 students, teachers, and staff, 1,683 have tested positive since the return to in-school instruction in September. That is 21.4 %.
Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Joseph Ricca, asked if this was due to increased testing of students issued this statement:
“Thankfully, our numbers of positive cases are rapidly decreasing. We experienced the surge following the holiday recess. However, since about Wednesday last week, we are moving in the right direction. I do think that the added availability of testing helped us to identify cases as well.”
A WPCNR random sampling of neighboring districts in central Westchester and to the south and north show percentages of positives among students, teachers and staff to date from the beginning of school in September by enrollment.
POSITIVES PCT STUDENTS,TEACHERS TREND
STAFF LAST 7 DAYS
IN DISTRICT 1/26-FEB 1
WHITE PLAINS 1,683 21.4% 1,874 UP 29
GREENBURGH 324 15% 2,066 UP 13
HARRISON: 740 17% 4,301 UP 48
SCARSDALE: 887 15.7% 5,648 UP 61
VALHALLA 179 11% 1,609 UP 7
NEW ROCHELLE 1,032 9% 11,766 UP 67
YONKERS 1,779 6.1% 29,220 UP 90
MT.VERNON 1,841 22% 8,316 UP 9
EASTCHESTER 490 13.5% 3,626 UP 16
PORT CHESTER/RYE 623 12% 5,215 UP 27
PEEKSKILL 420 10% 4,186 UP 10
YORKTOWN 707 18% 3,951 UP 42
PLEASANTVILLE 322 23% 1,351 UP 5
CHAPPAQUA 306 7.3% 4,166 UP 8
CORTLANDT 146 6.5% 2,238 0
Data from the New York State School Positives website
The first two weeks of February will be key to controlling new cases of covid going into the Valentines Day socializing Feb. 12-13,14 followed by the winter recess week of February 18 through 27 (in White Plains). The relative low positives from January 26 to Feb. 1st with these towns would indicate that students spreading the coronavirus the first two weeks of February may be low.
In March, schools return to the only month month with 4 straight weeks with no holiday weekends which may elevate the number of positives resulting from Valentines Day and the winter recess that lasts 10 days. The week-long winter recess may have the effect of spreading the covid virus.
Adults and students should be wary of spreading or putting themselves in possible situations where they may contact the virus.