More Lexington 1 employees are positive for COVID than at any other point in the pandemic

As the omicron variant spreads, more Lexington 1 school district employees are positive for COVID-19 than at any other point in the pandemic, district Superintendent Greg Little said.

As of Wednesday morning, 146 employees in Lexington 1 are positive for COVID-19, Little said. The previous record number of COVID-positive employees was 86 in September 2021, Little said.

“We also have staff out for other illnesses and caring for sick children,” Little said in a Wednesday video message posted to YouTube. “This means that staffing is already an issue at some of our schools, and we are closely monitoring these staffing concerns daily.”

The number of student cases has spiked as well. Before winter break, Lexington 1 had roughly 60 cases. As of Wednesday morning, 264 students had tested positive, Little said.

“We know these numbers will climb in the coming days and weeks,” Little said. “We do not share these numbers to alarm you, but rather to serve as a reminder that we must remain vigilant.”

As of Tuesday, 623 students and 70 employees were in quarantine or isolation, according to Lexington 1’s online dashboard.

“The best way for us to remain face-to-face is for our students and staff to wear a mask,” Little said. “Masks have proven to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our schools.”

The increase in cases in Lexington 1 reflects increasing cases throughout the community and state. On Dec. 31, 2021, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 8,066 positive tests, the highest number since the beginning of the pandemic. The record-breaking number of single-day new cases was the second time that record was broken since omicron began spreading throughout South Carolina, according to DHEC data.

In the Lexington 1 area, there were 290 COVID-19 cases before winter break. In the last 18 days, that number has increased to 1,727, Little said.

This story was originally published January 5, 2022 at 4:30 PM.