By Tim Mastro

DOVER — Delaware’s public schools posted their highest weekly total of in-person contagious COVID-19 cases among students so far this school year, according to the Delaware Division of Public Health’s most recent update Wednesday.

There were 773 in-person contagious cases among public school students and an additional 160 cases among staff, tracked from Jan. 8-14. It represents 0.55% of the estimated 141,040 students in public schools this year — only the second time that percentage has been more than 0.5%.

The previous weekly high was Dec. 11-17 when public schools posted 731 in-person contagious cases (0.52%).

The state has recorded a total of 6,360 in-person contagious cases among public school students, 4.5% of the estimated 141,040, so far this school year, with 1,395 more among staff. DPH began tracking data on Sept. 4.

These numbers come on the heels of Gov. John Carney announcing a one-time distribution of 125,000 KN95 masks to schools staff and students in the sixth grade and older. Delaware State Education Association president Stephanie Ingram also called upon school districts Tuesday to assess their operational capacity amid the current surge which has forced several districts such as Lake Forest, Smyrna, Capital and New Castle County Vo-Tech to switch to remote learning at times this month.

Mask distribution was one of the requests Ms. Ingram said DSEA members made Tuesday in their statement regarding school challenges.

She also requested “all COVID cleaning precautions to be resumed, adequate support to meet increased needs of educators/paras, nurses, transportation, and custodians, and for each district to create a plan to address operational challenges and to communicate in an effective and transparent manner with the entire school community they serve.”

Red Clay Consolidated School District, which has the most students in the state, has the most in-person contagious cases among students so far this year with 710 — 4.3% of its estimated 16,422 students. It also recorded the second-highest total for the week of Jan. 8-14 with 89.

Colonial recorded the most in-person contagious cases for the week of Jan. 8-14 with 96 — 1% of its estimated 9,570 students.

The data, posted on the state’s coronavirus website, only includes in-person contagious cases. In-person contagious cases are defined by DPH as “persons who were present at school as far back as 48 hours prior to the onset of symptoms (or test date if no symptoms). The source of infection of these cases cannot be attributed to schools, nor is it known that they are the source of infection to others in schools.”

The data is for all of Delaware’s public schools, which include 19 districts and all 23 charter schools which are a part of the public school system. COVID-19 testing for private schools is still unavailable.

Statewide, the state continues a slight downturn from the peak of the most recent COVID-19 surge.

The number of individuals hospitalized with the virus decreased for the sixth day in a row, down to 667. That is the lowest number in the last 13 days but still much higher than last year’s peak of 474.

DPH announced 16 COVID-19-related deaths in Wednesday’s report, bringing the state’s total to 2,440. Ten of those were not vaccinated while six were fully vaccinated. Two did not have underlying health conditions.

Only one was a resident of a long-term care center — the 890th COVID-19-related death in Delaware’s long-term care facilities (36.4%).

The 16 deaths ranged in age from 39 years old to 97 years old. Nine were from New Castle County while seven were Sussex County residents.

Delaware is averaging 2,426.1 new COVID-19 cases per day over the last seven days which is a decrease from 3,380 cases per day a week ago.