Covid report card: A look at first semester cases in Allegheny, Westmoreland school districts

Since the start of the school year, districts in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties have been impacted by the covid-19 pandemic, forcing schools to close and students to partake in remote learning to help curb the spread of the virus.

The chart below reflects the number of covid cases reported by school districts in both counties during the first semester. How cases were counted varies by district. Some reflect positive cases reported during remote learning and holiday breaks, while others only include cases from when students and staff were in school buildings.

For example, Greensburg Salem, which reported 58 cases during the first semester, only reported cases that were in school buildings. If cases were included outside of school buildings, an additional 15 students who may have been positive could be added to that total, Superintendent Gary Peiffer said. He noted those 15 cases could not be confirmed.

Some districts did not say how cases were counted, while others were unable to provide a case total for just the first semester — meaning those may have cases that were reported past the semester end date.

Several districts did not respond to requests for comment regarding covid numbers. Some declined to provide a breakdown between staff and students.

The majority of districts did note that through contact tracing they were able to determine that cases did not spread within school buildings due to measures like face masks and social distancing.

Editor’s note: Incorrect data originally appeared in the graphic above and has since been fixed.