A team of researchers at the Carolina Population Center are mapping COVID-19 case rates for all of the state’s school districts.
The map’s highest level is 2 per 1,000 people, and it shows data for the previous week-long period — it’s not a cumulative measure.
But, it can still provide context for educators and parents. Based off these metrics, the map shows that only five districts aren’t in the darkest shade of red: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Fort Bragg Schools, Hyde County Schools, Warren County Schools, and Chatham County Schools.
The website says the map may be a useful measure of someone’s risk of coming in contact with an infected person.
You can hover over your district on the map here to see specific information.
The researchers are also using this information to map what each district’s transmission level is based on CDC guidelines.
“Currently, the 7-day case rate for North Carolina is 401 cases per 100,000 people,” the website says, “meaning the state as a whole falls in the High Transmission category.”
At a Thursday press conference, Gov. Roy Cooper urged school districts to keep their mask mandates.
“We know that keeping kids learning in the classroom is the most important thing for our students right now,” he said. “Getting vaccinated, wearing a mask in public indoor settings, and following the science is what we need to do.”
As of Thursday, 109 school districts have mask mandates, covering more than 95% of the state’s public school students. A bill signed into law last week requires school boards to take monthly votes on mask mandates.
By Aug. 16, about a third of teenagers in the state were fully vaccinated. The researchers are tracking that data, too.
