School in Matthews reports 2nd COVID-19 cluster among students, moves class online
Covenant Day School is reporting its second cluster of COVID-19 cases in less than two months.
The Matthews private school, in September, became the first K-12 school in Mecklenburg to report multiple coronavirus cases, the Observer has previously reported.
Now, Covenant Day is reporting a second cluster, with at least seven cases recorded among high school students, according to information released Tuesday by Mecklenburg County health officials. School leaders on Nov. 9 moved high school classrooms entirely online after learning the cases could be related, a Covenant Day spokeswoman said.
The students connected to the COVID-19 cluster have been “involved in in-person learning,” according to school spokeswoman Megan Fair. Covenant Day believes the initial exposure to the coronavirus was linked to an off-campus sporting event on Oct. 31, Fair said.
The school will not resume in-person classes until after Thanksgiving break, Fair said.
One other local school is currently managing an active cluster of coronavirus cases, public health officials say.
On Tuesday, the county included Steele Creek Preparatory Academy Charter School on its list of outbreaks and clusters in Mecklenburg.
Steele Creek Preparatory has reported two cases among staff and four among students, according to county data.
In recent months, daycare centers and other schools have reported multiple cases among workers and students. Residential care facilities — such as nursing homes and adult care facilities — as well as daycares and schools are required to report possible outbreaks to health officials.
As of Tuesday, there were 25 active outbreaks reported in long-term care facilities in Mecklenburg, with 383 associated COVID-19 cases and 23 deaths.
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