An Iredell County preschool on Friday reported a cluster of coronavirus cases. It’s the second cluster discovered at a school or childcare facility in the county.
Three staff members and two children at Primrose School of Lake Norman have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services.
The Primrose School “took immediate action by closing the school and sanitizing the environment when the initial case was identified,” the Iredell County Health Department said in a press release. The school plans to remain closed until July 13 to do “additional deep cleaning.”
NCDHHS on its website defines a coronavirus cluster as “a minimum of five laboratory confirmed cases with illness onsets or initial positive results within a 14-day period.” There also must be a “plausible epidemiologic linkage between cases.”
State numbers on Thursday showed five other schools or childcare facilities in North Carolina had reported clusters, including Sunshine House in Cumberland County, Smart Kids #3 in Mecklenburg County, Milestone Learning Center in New Hanover County and A Child’s Place in Pitt County.
North Iredell High School reported the state’s first school cluster in mid June. Five staff at the high school had the virus as of Thursday, according to state data.
The Iredell County Health Department said Friday it is “working closely” with the owners of Primrose School of Lake Norman to “ensure all precautionary protocols are followed upon reopening.”
NCDHHS said it updates data on COVID-19 clusters in child care and school settings on its website each Tuesday and Friday by 4 p.m.
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