PORTER COUNTY -
The Porter County Health Department is identifying metrics local health officials will use to advise school districts on what instructional models to implement, based on coronavirus outbreaks.
The "Times" reports a Porter County memo outlines a three-tier threshold for county positivity rates using a seven-day period. A county average of 0-5% indicates schools should operate in person; at 6-12%, schools should operate in-person or with a hybrid model; and at 13% or higher, districts should pursue remote learning.
Porter County Health Officer Dr. Maria Stamp says the county health department will use the data to make recommendations to school districts, but the final decision about whether to conduct school in-person or virtually is ultimately up to them.
Porter County's positivity rate has reportedly been in the 7-8% range since testing became widely available in mid-June 2020.
