2 Stillwater Schools Added To Latest COVID-19 Outbreak List

STILLWATER, MN — The number of Stillwater schools on the weekly list of facilities with recent COVID-19 outbreaks is on the rise again after falling to its lowest mark in months last week.

Five Stillwater schools were named on the first two lists of 2022, with three schools on the list for the following two weeks. Stillwater Area High School was the only school in the city named on the Feb. 3 list, but three schools were included on the most recent list.

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Wildwood Elementary and Stillwater Middle School joined the high school on Thursday’s list.

Two of the three schools are in the Stillwater Area Public Schools district, which is set to lift its mask mandate next week. Wildwood Elementary is in the Mahtomedi Public Schools district.

Officials announced Friday that masks will no longer be required at Stillwater Area Public Schools starting Monday.

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“With a decline in COVID positive cases in our school, the widespread availability of vaccines, and concerns about the social and emotional well-being of our students, we’ve made the decision to lift the mask mandate at this time,” officials said in a statement Friday.

The COVID-19 data dashboard for Stillwater Area Public Schools shows weekly case totals have dropped significantly in recent weeks.

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Officials reported 336 cases from Jan. 7-13, 329 cases from Jan. 14-20, 198 cases from Jan. 21-27 and 113 cases from Jan. 28 to Feb. 3. The district’s weekly case total dropped to 71 from Feb. 4-10, the dashboard shows.

*Editor's note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated Wildwood Elementary is in the Stillwater Area Public Schools district. It is in the Mahtomedi Public Schools district.