Eden Prairie Local News
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Monday, March 20
    • About
      • About EPLN
      • Team
      • EPLN in the News
      • Policies
    • Contact
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Subscribe
    Eden Prairie Local News
    • Home
    • Schools
    • Business
    • Sports
    • Public Safety
    • City
    • Calendar
    • Donate
    • Subscribe
    • More
      • Construction
      • Outdoors
      • Politics
      • Health
      • Spirituality
      • Community Service
      • Legacy
      • Obituaries
      • Arts
      • Family
      • Holidays
      • Letter to Editor
      • Listen
      • Jobs
    Eden Prairie Local News
    Home»Health»Five Eden Prairie schools on MDH COVID-19 list with 5 or more confirmed cases
    Health

    Five Eden Prairie schools on MDH COVID-19 list with 5 or more confirmed cases

    By Jim BayerOctober 21, 2021Updated:October 22, 20214 Mins Read
    EP COVID update

    Five Eden Prairie schools are now listed on the Minnesota Department of Health’s list of school facilities reporting five or more confirmed cases of COVID-19 in students or staff over a two-week reporting period.On the list as of Oct. 21 are Central Middle School, Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion, Eden Lake Elementary, Oak Point Elementary, and Prairie View Elementary.

    Eden Prairie Schools’ (EPS’) COVID-19 dashboard reported 77 cases as of the two-week period ending Oct. 22, down from 97 the previous two-week period. Fifty-two of those cases were among students in pre-K through 5th grade, 19 were in grades 6-12 (including TASSEL), and six were staff members. The largest decline was reported in older students. There are 8,976 students and 1,825 staff in the district.

    No new COVID-19 mitigation plans have been announced by district officials.

    “We have never stopped being concerned since March of 2020, when the pandemic first started affecting school operations,” said EPS spokesman Brett Johnson when asked if the number of schools reaching the MDH reporting threshold was raising concerns with district officials, or if any changes to the district’s Safe Learning Plan were being considered.

    Advertisement
    Ad for Washburn-McReavy

    “If there are any changes to district procedures, they will be communicated directly to all families via email,” he added.

    Safe Learning Plan

    EPS’ Safe Learning Plan requires students and staff in preschool through 6th grade to wear face coverings when indoors. The plan recommends face coverings for students and staff in 7th through 12th grade, but they are not required.

    According to the plan:

    • Face coverings are required for all staff when they can’t maintain six feet of social distance. 
    • Fully vaccinated staff who can maintain social distance may remove their face covering “when it supports educational outcomes.”
    • Face coverings are required for all visitors who cannot maintain six feet of social distance. Unvaccinated visitors are required to wear a face covering.
    • All students and staff on school buses and other vehicles are required to wear a face covering.

    The plan recommends parents keep their children home if they aren’t feeling well. It also recommends getting COVID-19 vaccinations for those who are eligible, but does not require them.

    Quarantine

    Someone living with an individual who has COVID-19 should quarantine during the time that person might be contagious, as well as the time that they could develop COVID-19, which could total up to 24 days, according to the plan.

    Someone who is exposed but is fully vaccinated does not need to quarantine if the COVID-19 exposure was at least 14 days after their vaccination series was fully completed, and they do not have any COVID-19 symptoms.

    Quarantine is also not required if someone is exposed but has had a laboratory-documented case of COVID-19 in the past 90 days and does not currently have symptoms.

    MDH list

    School buildings on the MDH list that have not reported a new case for 28 days will be removed from the list, according to the MDH website. If five or more cases are reported in a school building in a subsequent two-week period, they will be listed again.

    More than 500 school buildings throughout Minnesota are listed on the site, which is updated every Thursday.

    Cases are counted when infected persons were in the building during the reporting period.

    School buildings listed may not have ongoing transmission, according to the MDH website.

    Case rate data

    Hennepin County reported that Eden Prairie’s COVID-19 case rate per 10,000 residents was 44.6 as of Oct. 21. That compares to 38.2 per 10,000 when school started Sept. 8. The rate was 5.5 cases per 10,000 residents on June 7, 2021.

    As of Oct. 14, Eden Prairie reported a total of 6,469 COVID-19 cases and 26 deaths, according to county data.

    Editor’s note: This story was updated Oct. 22 to reflect new Eden Prairie Schools COVID-19 Dashboard information.

    Be Informed
    Sign up for the FREE email newsletter from EPLN
    Subscribe

    Comments

    Comments aren’t allowed on our site, but we do offer several ways to provide feedback, and have your voice heard. If you believe the story has an error, or would like to get in touch with the author, please contact us. If you would like to respond directly to this article, we welcome and encourage Letters To the Editor. You can find details on how to submit a letter on our contact page.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleHomeward Hills Road closure extended for another day
    Next Article Nature nearby

    More to READ

    3 Mins Read

    EP Optimist Club recognizes student essay winners

    March 17, 2023
    3 Mins Read

    Community rallies around sick EPHS band teacher

    March 16, 2023
    16 Mins Read

    Summer camp options in and around Eden Prairie

    March 15, 2023
    Subscribe to get EPLN in your inbox for FREE!
    Recent Articles

    Pedestrian killed crossing Highway 5

    March 20, 2023

    Bud Grant remembered as ‘pillar’ at memorial service in Eden Prairie

    March 20, 2023

    Eagles capture third place at state with victory over Stillwater

    March 19, 2023

    Council to consider new flooring for gym

    March 19, 2023

    It’s been that kind of winter

    March 19, 2023
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    Eden Prairie Local News is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization EIN 85-4248265 | Copyright © 2020-2023
    • About
    • Policies
    • Jobs
    • Contact
    • Advertising
    • Subscribe
    • Donate

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.