Thurston Health Officer Gives OK to Begin Returning More Students to Classrooms

Thurston County’s health officer on Thursday gave the OK for public schools to again begin slowly transitioning to a hybrid learning model that includes in-person instruction, starting first with younger students. 

The decision by Dr. Dimyana Abdelmalek comes just weeks after the state began reconfiguring goals for metrics to begin the process of reopening businesses and bringing kids back into physical classrooms. School districts throughout Thurston County have been busy planning for the return to partial in-person learning, with some expecting to begin returning students in the coming days.

The county’s testing capacities, contact tracing capacities, rate of diagnoses and case trends in recent weeks have all been looking favorable to begin the reopening process, according to county public health officials. 

As of Thursday afternoon, Thurston County was reporting a rate of 304.4 cases per 100,000 people over the last 14 days. The county’s test-positive rate stood at 7.8%, with the trend of new cases declining. 

“I am recommending schools use the Washington State Department of Health decision-making framework and cautiously phase in in-person learning for K-5 and middle school students,” Abdelmalek wrote. “Once Thurston County’s rates are below 200 cases per 100,000, I will recommend phasing in high school students.” 

In late September, amid a downturn in new COVID-19 cases, Abdelmalek recommended public schools begin a “slow, careful, phased approach” to return students to in-person learning. 

Many districts began diligently returning students, but recommendations changed about a month later as officials with the county Department of Public Health and Social Services began seeing a surge in new cases and hospitalizations from COVID-19. 

Weekly caseloads more than quadrupled from September to early November, and it was on Oct. 14 that Abdelmalek recommended a pause on returning students to in-person learning. 

Campus activity since then has remained fairly minimal, with some small study groups and district’s highest-needs students being allowed on campus. 

“The COVID-19 situation in our county is dynamic,” Abdelmalek wrote in her Thursday letter. “I will continue to make recommendations based on the best available data and state guidance. We have many challenges ahead as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic in Thurston County. I commend you for your efforts to create safe learning environments for our children and educational professionals.” 

New data released last month showed that COVID-19 transmission was limited in schools that implemented state health and safety protocols.