Barren and Warren County Schools see COVID increase

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – COVID numbers in schools have been on the rise for some counties leading people to wonder if a mask mandate was impacting numbers locally.

On October 29, the last day of the Warren County Public School’s mask mandate, Warren County as a whole had 25,500, Wednesday that number has risen to 26,350.

On the same date, Warren County Public Schools had 26 students who had tested positive along with 4 employees.

Wednesday, the school is unmasked and has 72 students who have tested positive along with 17 employees.

In a statement, WCPS said,

“At the Warren County Public Schools monthly Board meeting on October 21, 2021, board members voted to make face coverings optional in our school facilities and extra-curricular events, beginning November 1, 2021.  At that time, our community was experiencing a consistent decline in confirmed COVID-19 cases.  During the past couple of weeks, COVID-19 cases in our schools have mirrored the steady increase we are currently experiencing throughout our community.

During yesterday’s Kentucky Department of Education Commissioner’s webcast, Dr. Connie White, Deputy Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Health, expressed optimism that we may have reached a plateau of COVID cases based upon current data and previous trends throughout the pandemic.  However, consistent with our approach from the beginning of the pandemic, we will continue to monitor the fluctuation of data daily and any adjustments made to our current COVID protocols will be communicated to our families in as timely manner as possible.”

Also on October 29, Barren County had 8,000 positive cases. Wednesday that number has risen to 8,260.

Their mask mandate lifted on October 27 but was then reinstated last week.

Right now, the Barren County School System has 76 documented student cases as well as 5 employees.