PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – More local students have returned to in-person learning this school year. With rising COVID-19 case numbers, the health and safety of children and staff is a top priority.
In mid-August, Virginia Health Commissioner Dr. M. Norman Oliver issued a public health order requiring all students, teachers, staff and visitors in K-12 schools to wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status, to help limit the spread of germs.
And COVID-19 vaccines are currently available for children at least 12 years old.
The majority of local school districts are tracking and publicizing confirmed COVID-19 cases, but how that data is presented varies by city.
10 On Your Side has compiled a list of COVID-19 dashboards by district.
Chesapeake
Chesapeake Public Schools updates its COVID-19 case data on weekdays, with a tally of daily cases and a 14-day total. The data includes positive COVID-19 test results, both self-reported and cases reported by the Chesapeake Health Departments.
New for 2021-2022 – a color coding system will be used to identify the level of impact positive cases are having on individual schools. In situations where several outbreaks have occurred, that would be classified as high and could result in moving classrooms or moving the entire school temporarily to online learning to mitigate the spread of the virus. Those decision would be made with the health department.
Hampton
The data on the Hampton City Schools COVID-19 dashboard is updated on weekdays, except when the school system is closed. It lists positive COVID-19 cases by school and date reported. The school system began compiling the data on Sept. 7, 2021.
Gloucester
Gloucester County Public Schools created a COVID-19 dashboard for this school year, which displays the following data:
- Total # of employees diagnosed with COVID-19
- Total # of employees quarantined
- Total # of students diagnosed with COVID-19
- Total # of students quarantined
The dashboard also breaks down cases by individual school.
Newport News
The COVID-19 data on the dashboard includes the number of employees and students who have tested positive during the listed timeframe.
Norfolk
On its dashboard, Norfolk Public Schools is reporting the number and location of confirmed COVID-19 cases within its schools and administration buildings. Cases will refer to “individuals” only. Anyone identified through contact tracing as a close contact of an affected individual will be contacted directly by the Norfolk Department of Public Health or the NPS Student Wellness team. The dashboard will be updated daily by 5:30 p.m. and will reflect the most current data available based on contact tracing from the previous 24 hours.
Portsmouth
The COVID-19 dashboard, which is updated on weekdays, provides an updated count of students and staff who have tested positive for coronavirus. It also lists the most recent reported case at each school.
Suffolk
The dashboard information will be updated weekly on Mondays. Any known individual meeting the CDC definition of a close contact to a confirmed COVID-19 positive individual will be contacted by the Suffolk City Health Department or a Suffolk Public Schools staff member directly. Others at the affected location will receive a notification letter from SPS.
Virginia Beach
The Virginia Beach City Public Schools COVID-19 dashboard will be updated daily by 4:30 p.m. and will reflect the most current data available based on contact tracing from the previous 24 hours. The data reflects cases reported for the 2021-2022 school year since Sept. 1, 2021. It provides the total cases per school as well as a cumulative total since Sept. 1.
Williamsburg – James City County
The Williamsburg-James City County Schools dashboard outlines how many students and staff are in isolation or quarantine. There is also a vaccination status section.
York County
On the York County Schools COVID-19 dashboard, you can easily search by date and by specific school. All data reported in the YCSD COVID-19 Dashboard is based on the date the division receives notification of a confirmed case or a staff/student entering quarantine due to community exposure.
