MANCHESTER, N.H. – In another sign that the COVID-19 pandemic is finally coming to a close, at Monday night’s Manchester Board of School Committee meeting, Manchester School District Interim Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Gillis announced that the Manchester School District is no longer in a “substantial” level of COVID-19 transmission.
Under standards from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, a community is considered to be at the “substantial uncontrolled community transition” or “Red” level when the average number of new cases per 100,000 people over the past 14 days is more than 100.
As of Monday, Gillis said there were 11 active cases within the Manchester School District, effectively taking the district out of the “red” level. In comparison, that number was at 446 on Jan. 13 according to the Manchester School District’s COVID data dashboard.
“It’s really exciting to see us moving in this direction, to everyone involved in our school community, I want to say thank you,” she said.
Gillis also told the board that HVAC upgrades and other ventilation measures designed to increase safety are underway and classes in the areas receiving the renovations have not been cancelled or postponed.
As of March 10, the Manchester Health Department reported the average new cases per 100,000 over the last 14 days figure as 148, although the actual number may be higher due to individuals who have not reported that they have COVID-19.1
