More than 588 DeKalb County public school students quarantined

More than 588 local public school students were reported in quarantine because of possible COVID-19 exposure in the past two weeks, and 83 new COVID-19 cases were identified in local students.

That’s according to the most recent available data from Genoa-Kingston, DeKalb and Sycamore schools.

COVID-19 case and quarantine data released by local schools is provisional, with most recent statistics varying by district.

There is a 9.9% seven-day positivity rate within DeKalb School District 428 communities, including DeKalb, Malta and Cortland. From Nov. 27 through Dec. 3, nine employees tested positive for COVID-19 and 30 students contracted the virus in the DeKalb School District. One employee was quarantined and 391 students were in quarantine districtwide.

According to enrollment numbers from the most recent available Illinois Report Card data, DeKalb School District’s quarantine rate is about 6% of its student body population, which is 6,427 in the 2021-2022 school year.

As of Monday in Sycamore Community School District 427, 28 students tested positive for COVID-19, with 41 students excluded in quarantine because of close contact and 115 additional students in quarantine. Four employees tested positive for COVID-19, and nine employees were excluded. Sycamore School District’s quarantine rate is about 4.4% of its student body of 3,533, according to the most recent available enrollment data.

The most recent data for Genoa-Kingston School District is as of Dec. 13, which includes statistics from Dec. 1 through Dec. 13. According to a social media post by Superintendent Brent O’Daniell, 25 students tested positive for COVID-19 and there are 41 students in quarantine. Five staff members tested positive for COVID-19 and one employee is in quarantine but did not test positive. According to enrollment data, that means about 1.6% of Genoa-Kingston School District’s student population of 1,480 is in quarantine.

Each school district updates its COVID-19 reports at least once a week. In DeKalb, data is collected each Friday and will be updated on the district’s website each Monday, according to the website. In Sycamore, the COVID-19 online data page is updated weekly. Genoa-Kingston’s data is released weekly via a Twitter post from O’Daniell and also is shared on the district’s website.

Youth outbreaks

In the past 30 days, there have been three COVID-19 youth outbreaks linked to sports and classrooms in three DeKalb County school districts, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Clinton Rosette Middle School in DeKalb reported an outbreak of fewer than five students on Dec. 8, with a classroom being the source.

Genoa-Kingston Middle School reported an outbreak of five students on Nov. 19 due to sports.

Hinckley-Big Rock High School first reported an outbreak of fewer than five students on Nov. 17 due to sports.

An outbreak is identified by the local health department to have three or more COVID-19 cases that may have a shared exposure at a shared youth-related location and are from different households. Outbreak statistics do not include secondary cases occurring in a household member who has not been at the same outbreak location.

COVID-19 case and quarantine data released by local schools is provisional, with most recent statistics varying by district. Data is updated once a week and was last updated Dec. 10.