13 positives identified through pool testing; 137 cases reported publicly since March 1
May 6, 2021 | 10:22 am
May 7, 2021
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This story was updated at 5:50 p.m. May 7, 2021, to correct a reference to Chevy Chase Elementary School.
The number of COVID-19 cases reported among Montgomery County Public Schools staff members and students nearly doubled in the past three weeks.
Since schools began reopening on March 1, at least 137 cases have been reported, and 64 were reported since April 14.
While health officials have said any increase in cases is “concerning,” more cases were expected as more students and employees returned to buildings.
MCPS used a phased reopening schedule that brought more children into buildings in waves. After the first 700 students returned, about 20,000 children were brought back in each of the next three phases.
Two positives identified at Daly Elementary
April 16, 2021 | 4:21 pm
April 16, 2021
Since Montgomery County Public Schools began “preventative” COVID-19 testing of students and teachers, there have been only two positive results, according to school district leaders.
On March 25, as part of a partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks, of Boston, Mass., MCPS began rolling out what it calls “pool” COVID-19 tests to identify asymptomatic spread of the virus in its schools.
Each week, students and staff members in chosen classrooms swab their noses and put all of the swabs into a single test tube. The tube is then tested for COVID-19, and if a positive result is reported, the people included are asked to complete an individual test.