FARMINGTON — Regional School Unit 9 Superintendent Chris Elkington announced Thursday that the 10-town district is seeing an uptick in cases — most of which are concentrated at Mt. Blue Middle School.

There are 31 cases across the district, including 20 at the middle school in Farmington, Elkington wrote in a “COVID update” posted on the district’s Facebook page.

He said administration is assuming the spike is due to a wave of COVID-19 omicron variant BA.2. In the past few months, RSU 9 has seen a major drop in COVID-19 cases since weekly case counts peaked at 98 in mid-January.

Additionally, Elkington said there is an “uncomfortable … stomach bug” making the rounds.

The district is advising staff in classrooms and on buses to open windows, use fans, take students out for short walks, and recommending students and staff wear masks – though not requiring it.

In early March, the RSU 9 board of directors lifted the district’s mask mandate. However, the vote also authorized Elkington to institute temporary mask mandates at individual schools “if there is an increase (or) outbreak in cases deemed concerning by the Maine Center for Disease Control.”

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Elkington wrote in an email to the Sun Journal that the CDC has not set a specific number of cases when a school will need a temporary mask mandate, which would likely last for the incubation period (10 days to two weeks). The guidance will be “situational,” Elkington responded.

He clarified that the spike in reported cases occurred Wednesday and was not followed by a large jump Thursday.

“(A temporary mask mandate) would probably be based on a continuous and growing increase of cases — a spike in cases making leaps and bounds in numbers at a school or on a bus for two to three days in a row or over two to three days,” Elkington explained. “We have not seen anything like that yet.”

The update notes the uptick has also had an impact on the driving staff – where there is already a shortage in the district and statewide.

“We are presently using every staff member who has a bus license as we have half a dozen drivers out because of COVID,” Elkington wrote. “We can’t afford to lose any more of our drivers, and if we do, I may need to either cancel or consolidate some bus routes tomorrow.”

An announcement on any potential changes to busing were to be made Thursday night or Friday morning.

Due to the uptick in cases, Elkington wrote that there are more students being sent to school sick with fevers.

He urged families to review and follow the district’s health screener before choosing to send kids to school or RSU 9 affiliated activities.


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