Harrisburg families are on notice.
If the latest wave of coronavirus cases besieging Dauphin County and beyond doesn’t abate soon, Harrisburg School District Superintendent Eric Turman stated in a message to Harrisburg families Tuesday, he will order a suspension of in-person classes.
Turman said today’s letter, first reported by ABC27News, is just one of warning. For now.
“As a district, we will do everything possible to maintain in person learning as we are aware how important it is for students in the Harrisburg School District to be present in school and benefit from direct instruction,” he wrote.
But it’s also time, he continued, for families of students and teachers to get prepared for the possibility of remote instruction in increments of at least one week at a time.
Turman said his concern is prompted by a rise in positive COVID test rates to 16% in Dauphin County, and new case incidence rates of 221 cases per 100,000 residents. “These are some of the highest numbers we’ve seen in almost a year,” Turman said, adding “it is even more concerning these numbers are being reached with available vaccines and booster shots available for many in the community.”
Scientists say more than 5% of COVID-19 tests coming back positive is a sign of significant spread.
Turman also said a separate report shows “record levels of prevalence of the COVID-19 virus running through wastewater in the city of Harrisburg.”
Harrisburg, like all Pennsylvania school districts, has been requiring all students, staff and visitors in the schools to be masked since Labor Day. But the city’s classes have been running in-person after spending most of 2020-21 operating on remote platforms and, according to the latest numbers posted on the district’s COVID dashboard, no single school is reporting more than four active cases.
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