By Taylor Boyd COVID-19 cases in the Patrick County Public Schools system continue to rise as quarantine numbers
drop.
Brandon Simmons, chairman of the school board and of the Dan River District, said the past week saw a
decline in quarantines in the high school, with a small increase in cases at the elementary schools.
“This coming week after this holiday, we should have a lot of people being able to come back,” he said.
The school system also could potentially see an increase in cases due to the Labor Day holiday weekend.
“Every holiday a lot of people get together and there’s a lot of crowds and stuff, so I mean it is possible,”
Simmons said, and added “we’re trying our best to stop the spread and keep people safe. We just can’t
control what they do outside of school.”
The dashboard is updated on Wednesdays. As of September 1, data there suggested there were 89
positive cases and 219 in quarantine in the school system, including 63 positive cases and 125 students
and staff in quarantines at Patrick County High School.
The suggested positive cases at the high school increased by seven from the previous week’s report, and
the number in quarantine decreased by 40.
The dashboard suggested all the elementary schools have a minimum of one positive case and four in
quarantine.
The dashboard suggested quarantines at Stuart Elementary School increased by 26 and positive cases
increased by five. Quarantines at Blue Ridge Elementary School are reported to have decreased by 16
people. Positive cases appeared to have decreased by one.
There were no reported cases or quarantines in the Central Office, Transportation Office, Maintenance
Department, or the technology Department, according to the dashboard.
The Patrick County Public School COVID-19 Dashboard is updated by the close of business each
Wednesday. It can be viewed at www.patrick.k12.va.us/families/covid-19_dashboard.
