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ST. CLAIRSVILLE -- Belmont County's COVID-19 coronavirus cases have resumed an upward creep after several quiet days. This past week has also marked a second case at a county middle school, but so far precautions seem to have caught the virus before it could spread, and the work of educating children continues.
On Thursday, Union Local School District Superintendent Ben Porter confirmed a staff member at the middle school had tested positive for the virus. Porter said the district's precautions have allowed them to quickly identify likely contacts and school continued Friday.
"Two staff have to quarantine, but no students will have to quarantine as of now," Porter reported via text.
The district has been operating with a hybrid model, with half the students in attendance and half learning online at any given day. Union Local will resume full attendance this Monday as planned.
Last week, Shadyside School District's Leona Middle School reported a student had tested positive, but school operations have been able to continue.
On Friday, Belmont County Deputy Health Director Robert Sproul reported a total of 749 positive cases in Belmont County and 676 recoveries, with 43 people isolated with active cases. He said five people remain hospitalized and there have been 25 deaths related to the virus, including nine inmates at the Belmont Correctional Institute.
This is an increase of two cases since Thursday, but Sproul said neither is related to Belmont County. The staff member at Union Local was a Guernsey County resident and was not included with Belmont County's numbers.
In addition, the Ohio National Guard will conduct its third and final free pop-up testing site at 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Ohio University Eastern.