New school COVID-19 cases top 700

Photo: Center Hill High School had the most new COVID-19 cases last week in the DeSoto County School District with 42. (Bob Bakken/DeSoto County News)

DeSoto County Schools (DCS) showed another marked increase in COVID-19 cases and quarantines in the past week, according to its weekly report issued Tuesday, due to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.  

While concerning, the numbers are not entirely surprising with a continued increase of cases statewide and nationwide, with almost the entirety of new cases now considered being the highly-contagious Omicron variety.  

For the week ending Jan. 14, DCS reported 706 new cases of coronavirus and 551 new quarantines. 

The 706 new cases is an increase of 317 new cases from the previous week. The new quarantine figure is 457 above the 94 new quarantines reported the previous week.  

Before Christmas break, there were just 40 new cases and 90 new quarantines.  

Every attendance center in the district had at least one new case last week, led by Center Hill High School with 42. That was one above the 41 new cases reported at Hernando High School. Lewisburg High School reported 38 new cases, and Olive Branch and DeSoto Central high schools each had 37 new cases. 

Hernando Middle School led the district with 58 new quarantines, followed by Hernando Hills Elementary with 45.  Walls Elementary School reported 40 new quarantines, with Hernando Elementary with 34 and Greenbrook Elementary with 32 new quarantines. 

DCS reported 145 school staff and teachers with new COVID-19 case reports last week.  

The complete report is shown below and is also found on the DeSoto County Schools official website.