St. John class of 21 in quarantine

More than 60 students in NWI schools have tested positive for COVID-19 in week

An entire class of 21 students at Protsman Elementary School in St. John was placed in quarantine Wednesday after a positive COVID-19 test result was reported, according to Superintendent Larry Veracco.

“They decided there had been significant commingling and that the most conservative approach would be to quarantine the entire class,” Veracco said over email Thursday. “The positive student was not a bus rider so the quarantine was limited to their class.”

Veracco said the students and their teacher will move to eLearning for the next 14 days.

Lake Central School Corp. has seen six positive test results from students across the district since the first day of school Aug. 17, officials said.

Those students are among more than 60 individuals throughout schools in Northwest Indiana have tested positive for COVID-19 over the last week, according to the state Department of Health.

The st at e dashboard f or schools does not separate students from teachers and school staff.

At least five students and one staff member have reported positive tests across the Duneland School Corp., resulting in the quarantining of over 40 individuals, according to messages sent out to families in the district.

“The administration, in consultation with the Porter County Health Department, has conducted contract tracing measures,” the messages from Assistant Superintendent Robert McDermott read, going on to state individuals identified as close contacts will be quarantined for 14 days. “The DSC follows all isolation and quarantine requirements of the Indiana State Department of Health and the DSC Reentry Plan.”

Families were also sent messages regarding two hybrid L-Z students from Chesterton High School who tested positive, one of which resulted in the quarantining of 39 individuals.

Also in the Duneland School Corp., a hybrid A-K student and a staff member at Westchester Intermediate School tested positive, resulting in the quarantine of three individuals. Additionally, two hybrid L-Z students at Yost Elementary School tested positive.

On Sept. 28, Valparaiso Community Schools reported two positive cases in the district — one at Flint Lake Elementary and one at VCS Service Center.

“In collaboration with the Porter County Health Depart

ment, direct contacts were identified and notification has been given to those individuals with instructions to quarantine for 14 days,” a message sent to families and staff reads.

Many schools throughout Northwest Indiana are still in the process of adding data to a new dashboard unveiled by the state Wednesday evening, which allows districts to track COVID-19 cases in students, staff and teachers.