COVID numbers: Marion County Public Schools COVID numbers drop once again

In this Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021, file photo, students, some wearing protective masks, arrive for the first day of school at Sessums Elementary School in Riverview, Fla. The on-again, off-again ban imposed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to prevent mandating masks for Florida school students is back in force. The 1st District Court of Appeal ruled Friday, Sept. 10, that a Tallahassee judge should not have lifted an automatic stay two days ago that halted enforcement of the mask mandate ban. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara, File)

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Posted October 18, 2021 | By Matthew Cretul
matthew@ocalagazette.com

MCPS recorded 41 total new cases for the week of Oct. 9 – Oct. 15, as 34 students and seven employees were confirmed COVID-19 positive by the Florida Department of Health in Marion County. The figures, released Monday afternoon, are down slightly from the 49 cases reported on Oct. 11, and 86 cases reported on Oct. 1.

Quarantine numbers were down as well, with MCPS reporting 123 students and employees were quarantined due to direct contact with someone testing positive for COVID-19. The quarantines included 121 students and only two district employees.

Parents continue to opt their children out of facial coverings, however. MCPS reported 9,578 students, or 22%, have an opt-out form on file which allows them to not wear a facial covering.

The Marion County School Board has previously indicated that it may revisit the masking policy if COVID numbers remain below 99.9 cases per 100,000 and the positivity rate for new cases remains below 10% for two weeks, which is in line with the CDC FLDOH recommendations. The county positivity rate was 5.6% and cases per 100,000 was at 84.0 last week.