Coronavirus Incidence Rates Climb In Delco School Districts

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — COVID-19 metrics have held steady through October for Delaware County school districts overall, but incidence rates are up in many schools, and not just in the last week, but over two to three weeks.

Spikes to triple-digit incidence rates from the week of Oct. 16 through Oct. 22 to the week of Oct. 23 through Oct. 29 were seen at Chester-Upland (from 65 to 181), Garnet Valley (85 to 119), Coatesville (66 to 101), Penn-Delco (77 to 101), Ridley (130 to 199), Rose Tree Media, (72 to 106), Southeast Delco (82 to 174), Upper Darby (86 to 162), William Penn (85 to 154).

Spring-Ford School District showed unusual numbers; incidence rates of zero for two weeks, then a rate of 30 and the most recent week, 180.

The incidence rate in Marple-Newtown School District has climbed from 32 four weeks ago, to 115, to 131, to 161 in the most recent measure.

In the School District of Haverford Township, the rate went from 45 four weeks ago, then up to 63, to 118, then back down to 104.

Radnor Township School District has done well for a month; four weeks ago its incidence rate was at 75, then it dropped to 41, then held at 44 for each of the last two weeks.

Rates in the Springfield School District have fluctuated; four weeks ago the rate was 140. It jumped to 145, then dropped to 130 then eventually went down to 122.

Today, neighboring Montgomery County school districts with high numbers were told to go back to all-virtual learning as COVID-19 cases have surged there.

The safety of returning to school is measured in COVID-19 case counts, positivity rates that measure the spread of the virus, and incidence rates per 100,000 persons that measure how many newly confirmed cases are showing up in an area's population.

Guidance was issued by the Chester County Health Department concerning what instructional models are recommended for COVID-19 metrics. Here is a chart from the health department's recommendations, updated Sept. 14:

Spikes in these metrics happen and districts keep an eye on patterns and averages over weeks, to determine models of instruction that are safe, as recommended by public health departments.

Not all district showed sharp spikes in incidence rates in the most recent week.

The Chester County Health Department serves both Chester and Delaware counties. A list of Delaware and Chester county school districts and their last four weeks of positive COVID-19 test counts and incidence rates can be found here.

With reporting by Marlene Lang