645 Iredell Students In Quarantine for Possible COVID-19 Contact

IREDELL COUNTY, NC — On the eve of winter break, community spread of COVID-19 led to at least 33 new positive cases confirmed in Iredell-Statesville Schools as more than 600 students were in quarantine due to possible school and community contact, the school district said.

Positive cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in 21 ISS schools last week, the school district said Friday.

The school district reported Dec. 18 that at least three positive COVID-19 cases were considered "related to secondary spread within schools." Last week, six cases of secondary spread were reported.

Between Friday, Dec. 11 and Friday, Dec. 18, at least 306 students were in quarantine due to a possible COVID-19 exposure in school, 339 were in quarantine from a possible COVID-19 contact in the community, and 155 students were isolated with COVID-like symptoms.

At least 11 school district staff members and 22 students tested positive, the school district said.

SEE ALSO: Iredell County Reports Record 301 New COVID-19 Cases In A Day

The news comes as Iredell County reported 947 new COVID-19 cases in the span of a week and state public health officials urge county residents to reduce their public interactions to essential activities.

The schools reporting positive COVID-19 cases from Dec. 11 through Dec. 17 include:

Elementary Schools

• Celeste Henkel
• Cloverleaf
• Coddle Creek
• East Iredell
• Harmony
• Lake Norman
• Lakeshore
• Shepherd
• Third Creek

Middle Schools

• East Iredell
• Lakeshore
• Third Creek
• West Iredell Middle

High Schools

• Pressly School
• Agriculture and Science Early College
• Collaborative College for Technology and Leadership
• Crossroads
• Lake Norman High
• North Iredell
• Statesville
• West Iredell High

Community spread of the virus continues to surge throughout Iredell County. Friday, at least 301 new cases were reported, increasing the county's tally of known cases to 8,074. At least 59 county residents were hospitalized Friday, and 90 deaths attributed to the virus, according to the Iredell County Health Department.

Iredell County health officials group cases into three regions of the county: North, Central and South. Here's a breakdown of how many cases were confirmed in each region as of 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18:

North Region (zip codes 27020, 27028, 27055, 28625, 28634, 28636, 28660, 28689 and 28678)

• 1,562 cases (up from 1,419 cases reported Dec. 11)

Central Region (zip codes 27013, 28166, 28677)

• 3,220 cases (up from 2,840 cases reported Dec. 11)

South Region (zip codes 28036, 28115, 28117, 28125)

• 3,292 cases (up from 2,868 cases reported Dec. 11)

Iredell County is one of 48 counties in the state where the current spread of COVID-19 is at a critical level, prompting public health officials to urge residents to limit going out to essential activities and avoid socializing with those outside their households.

DHHS recommends the following for Iredell, along with other "red" counties:

• Limit mixing between households and minimize the number of people in your social circle
• Avoid setting where people congregate, like outdoor bars and night spots
• If patronizing restaurants, consider ordering take out from restaurants and/or eating outdoors socially distanced
• Individuals who are high-risk for developing serious illness should consider staying at home as much as possible
• Reduce your public interactions to mainly essential activities, like going to work or school, caring for family members, buying food, getting health care or picking up medications.