Mankato Area Public School eyeing COVID case increase

Mankato Area Public School officials say they are watching an increase in positive COVID-19 cases at the secondary grade levels with concern.

The school district said in a press release Thursday that there were 29 newly confirmed positive virus cases as of the previous day, and 383 reported quarantine cases.  The district cited close contact as the reason for the high number of quarantine cases.

School officials say they’re working closely with South Central Regional Support to address the issue.

“While we are committed to taking a number of safety precautions in our schools, it is difficult to control what is happening in the community,” says the press release.

The school district urged the community to be vigilant to prevent the spread of the virus so that schools can remain open.  But it will be data that will ultimately drive those decisions, says the release.

“If the pace of the most recent spread continues,” says the release, “we will be left with no other choice but to move to more restrictive learning models in some schools.”

Mankato East High School was named on the Minnesota Department of Health’s list of school facilities in the state that reported five or more cases of COVID-19 within a two-week period.

MDH also named several other local schools on the report, which is updated weekly:

St. Clair Secondary

Jefferson Elementary, New Ulm

New Ulm Area Catholic Schools

Blue Earth Area Secondary

United South Central High School, Wells

Albert Lea Senior High School

Tri-City United High School, Montgomery

St. Peter High School

Sibley East – Gaylord  Elementary

 

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