Reported COVID-19 cases in Clark County schools are beginning to decline after weeks of record-setting totals.
Schools on Wednesday reported 1,304 new virus cases, down from 1,688 last week — which was the highest weekly total recorded by The Columbian since the pandemic began.
Health officials have warned that the increased use of at-home tests and difficulties providing in-office tests means that the true number of COVID-19 infections is likely to exceed the official statistics.
Districts are continuing to struggle with staffing shortages and contact tracing as weekly totals remain in the hundreds in some areas.
The following data can be found for each school district on the Clark County Public Health website. It is typically updated by each district weekly.
- Evergreen Public Schools reported 247 new cases between Jan. 24 and Jan. 30 — down from 334 reported cases the previous week.
- Vancouver Public Schools reported 458 new cases between Jan. 26 and Feb. 1 — a dramatic increase from the 277 reported cases the previous week, and the highest single-week total Vancouver has seen since beginning weekly record-keeping in September 2020. Students accounted for 405 of these cases, while 53 were among staff members. The district also said 47 of these new cases came from in-school transmission, which is nearly double the in-school total from the last three weeks. It was unclear why Vancouver’s case totals increased this week while other districts reported a drop, but districts have alluded to delays in testing results as reasons for skewed data.
- Battle Ground Public Schools reported 262 new cases between Jan. 22 and Jan. 28 — down from 436 the previous week. Students accounted for 217 of these new cases, with 45 cases among staff members.
- The Camas School District reported 108 new cases between Jan. 23 and Jan. 29 — a decrease from 289 in the previous week.
- The Ridgefield School District reported 79 new cases between Jan. 26 and Jan. 31 — down from 108 in the previous week. Seventy of these virus cases were among students, while nine were among staff members.
- The Hockinson School District reported 35 new cases between Jan. 27 and Feb. 1 — down from 77 in the previous week. The district also reported that 19 students and staff members had been identified as close contacts and 25 additional students were out sick with COVID-19 symptoms.
- The Washougal School District reported 31 new cases between Jan. 27 and Jan. 31 — down from 86 in the previous week. Twenty-three of these cases were among students, while eight were among staff members.
- The La Center School District reported 84 new cases between Jan. 22 and Jan. 28 — a slight increase from 81 cases in the previous week. Students accounted for 71 of these cases, while 13 were among staff members.
Monday marked a district-wide return to in-person classes for Vancouver Public Schools, which had been on a rotating semi-remote schedule since Jan. 11.
District spokesperson Patricia Nuzzo said the bus driver shortage that initially prompted the change in schedule has improved, with the exception of isolated changes or interruptions in bus routes this week.
Nuzzo also said the district’s COVID-19 testing center for students and staff at the Jim Parsley Center Complex in Vancouver has continued running at full capacity. The center saw shortened hours and closures due to a staffing shortage last week.
Griffin Reilly: 360-735-4517; griffin.reilly@columbian.com; twitter.com/griflewisreilly
