COVID-19 cases continue to decline in local schools

The number of COVID-19 positive cases in schools in the Wiregrass have been declining in recent weeks – after big spikes in January – and that continued this past week.

Enterprise City Schools Superintendent Greg Faught reported that ECS had two employees and seven students test positive for COVID-19 in the previous week. That brings the ECS total since the beginning of school to 151 employee cases and 555 student cases.

For the third consecutive week Coffee County Schools also saw a decline in its numbers, down to a total of six new cases as of Feb. 17. Zion Chapel School had three new student cases, New Brockton Elementary had one new student case, New Brockton High School had one new student case and Kinston School had one new student case.

Coffee County Schools has had 193 total cases since the beginning of school.

Coffee County Schools Superintendent Kevin Killingsworth said that the school system continues to try and obtain vaccines to allow for employees that wish to be vaccinated to do so as soon as possible.

“As of right now we still do not have a date set for mass vaccinations of our employees,” Killingsworth said. “It is not because of lack of planning or attempting to gain the vaccine from ADPH. Our partners are still diligently trying to work through the issue.

“As we approach the last quarter of this school year, I want to once again thank the employees of the Coffee County School System for their dedication and perseverance during this school year. In my almost 30 years in education, I cannot remember a time in which so many had to sacrifice so much in order for our schools to run effectively and safely. It has been my honor to serve as superintendent of this great school system.”

Daleville City Schools had less than five new cases in the previous week, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health’s School Dashboard. Also, Elba City Schools reported no new cases, Dale County Schools reported 13 new cases, Dothan City Schools reported less than five and Ozark City Schools reported six new cases.