A leading expert on infectious diseases has warned that if Chester County’s current coronavirus positivity trend continues, it will be a while before schools are able to return to in-person education, writes Fran Maye for the Daily Local News.

Dr. Salwa E. Sulieman, a pediatric infectious disease specialist, told Unionville-Chadds Ford School District officials that modeling studies show a significant increase in local cases over the next four weeks.

“If cases continue to increase or stay at this high rate in Chester County over the next two weeks, virtual instruction will need to stay,” she said. “We want to get our kids back to school safely, but the numbers unfortunately are discouraging.”

The coronavirus positivity rate in Chester County was just 2.5 percent during the week of Aug. 14 but had increased to 6.5 percent by the week of Sept. 4.

The good news is that children still have a low hospitalization rate of up to two percent, said Sulieman.

The UCFSD board will base its decision to open schools for in-person instruction on science, said Jeff Hellrung, board president.

“Our goal is to make good decision based on good data,” he said.

Read more about the prospects of in-person education amidst the pandemic in the Daily Local News here.

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