More than 150 people with COVID-19 participated in the school or school-sponsored activities during the infectious period in South Carolina, according to the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control.
DHEC reported on Friday that 89 school students and 69 staff confirmed cases of the virus and attended public, private and private schools across the state.
“It is important to remember that this report does not mean that students, teachers or staff have contracted the virus at school; only students, teachers and staff who physically attend the school or a school campus on a regular basis will be included in the counts; and some schools may choose for announcing the cases before they are reflected in the DHEC reports twice a week, “wrote DHEC in a press release.
In Aiken County, these cases have been reported at Aiken High, Hammond Hill Elementary and North Augusta High.
The exact number of cases in each school is not available, as DHEC lists only “less than 5” for each.
Hammond Hill has at least one case between teachers and students. Aiken High had at least one positive teacher test, and North Augusta High had at least one positive student test.
Due to the different reports and verification processes at the local and state level, there are some differences between DHEC numbers and data from this week’s Aiken County Public School District.
The school district of Aiken County reported 11 total cases on Thursday, including at schools listed by DHEC and at these additional locations: Langley-Bath-Clearwater Middle, Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle, South Aiken High and the Department of Transportation.
Mike Rosier, communications coordinator for the school district in Aiken County, explained that not all 11 people with COVID-19 entered the school building. The reporting period for Thursday’s numbers was from August 23 to September 2, which includes several days before the beginning of the school year.
Another factor that can cause differences between DHEC numbers and school district numbers is simply which organization receives the information first, according to Rosier, and DHEC may need more time to check the school district’s reports.
For more information about COVID-19 in schools in South Carolina, visit the SC DHEC website.
For updates and information on how the pandemic is affecting the Aiken County Public School District, visit acpsd.net.