Barnstable Schools Forced To Go Remote Amid Coronavirus Surge

BARNSTABLE, MA — Barnstable Public Schools will go fully remote for the week because of a spike in coronavirus cases in both the schools and the community.

The district has been fully remote since Thursday because of the spike, and Superintendent Meg Mayo Brown originally considered reopening in-person classes Monday. But Mayo-Brown, district physician Dr. Katie Rudman and Barnstable Health Director Tom McKean spoke Sunday morning and agreed the town's schools need to remain remote amid the town's COVID-19 surge.

According to data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health released Thursday, Barnstable had the highest average daily rate of cases and the highest positive test rate in the state. In just a week, the town's positive test rate over the last two weeks spiked to 10.2 percent, up from 7.49 percent the week prior.

The town-wide surge has also affected the school district. Over the last week, 70 students and staff tested positive for the coronavirus. There are 225 close contacts in quarantine as of Sunday, according to Mayo-Brown.

"Our student and staff rates exceed the rates of neighboring school districts," Mayo-Brown said in a statement. "Additionally, we suspect limited in-school transmission at Barnstable High School."

Mayo Brown said in-person classes will return the week of April 5, pending the COVID-19 numbers. She said the plan to expand in-person learning that week for kindergarten to grade 3 hasn't changed.

"I had hoped to share better news with our BPS community," Mayo-Brown said. "We desperately want our students to learn in-person, and we will return as soon as possible. BPS Principals will follow this email with additional school-specific information. Our local health and medical experts continue to emphasize the need to stay the course with health and safety protocols that mitigate the spread of COVID."