COVID-19 cases in most Spokane-area schools starting to stabilize

The incidence of COVID-19 cases was lower or stable at most local school districts during the past week.

At Spokane Public Schools, the number of positive cases during the past week was 92, an increase of five over the previous week.

However, the number of people quarantined as a result of close contact was down slightly, from 491 last week to 481 in the one-week period ending Friday.

Hardest-hit schools were Westview and Willard elementary schools, with 40 and 38 people quarantined, respectively.

Central Valley schools also had a small increase, from 87 positive cases in the previous 14 days to 93 positives this week.

Of those positive cases, 27 occurred at University High School, where last week officials were forced to cancel the rest of the varsity football schedule.

Mead schools saw a significant drop in cases during the preceding 10-day period, from 87 a week ago to 63 reported on Friday.

However, COVID numbers remained worrisome at West Valley, which had 39 positive cases in the last 14 days; Medical Lake, which had 24; and Cheney, which reported 33 cases in the last two weeks.

Numbers continue to drop in Coeur d’Alene, where the 36 cases reported this week is the lowest of the year so far. As of Friday, 116 students and staff were reported to be “out of buildings.”