Due to possible exposure to COVID-19, the State College Area School District is quarantining students in Mount Nittany Elementary’s three fifth-grade classes until Wednesday.
The move came after the school district saw five cases within eight days, spokesman Chris Rosenblum said.
"Though classrooms follow masking, distancing and ventilation protocols, contact tracing had indicated likely in-school transmission," Rosenblum said in an email.
"Because of the multiple interactions that occur among students in all three classes, such as at lunch, math and recess, we made a proactive, grade-level decision to prevent potential further spread and additional loss of in-person learning," he said. "We realize this will be a hardship for some families, but we believe it was a necessary step."
As of Monday, 74 students districtwide were in quarantine as close contacts. All but six of them were in the Mount Nittany fifth-grade classes. Those classes were already being taught at the Panorama Village building for space reasons.
Classes are taking place remotely until Wednesday, when students who test negative for COVID can return to class. Students who don’t get tested will have to stay home until Monday.
Rosenblum said no other classes at Mount Nittany or other schools have been similarly affected.
According to the state Department of Health, as of Sept. 22, there had been 322 cases of COVID among 5- to 18-year-olds in Centre County since Aug. 16.
