The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

One of the adult personnel at Sisters Middle School has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a message from Superintendent Curt Scholl.

“Through contact-tracing protocol, we have found that there were no connections to any students,” he reported.

School announced that, “With some staff already in quarantine, staff that were already scheduled to be out, and the increasing cases in Deschutes County, we will be suspending limited in-person instruction at Sisters Middle School at this time. We still have a target of November 30 to bring our fifth grade back and feel that this break from limited in-person instruction will help us meet that target.”

The state has shifted the metrics by which some students will be allowed to return to class. That shift comes at the same time that cases are spiking, both across Oregon and in Deschutes County.

Scholl told parents and community members, “I would reiterate, we need all Deschutes County citizens to be leaders when it comes to the COVID protocols. These changing metrics do not diminish our continued need for vigilance around fighting the spread of this virus. For the sake of our students, our vulnerable populations, and everyone, please continue to follow the physical-distancing, hand-washing and mask-wearing protocols that have been put in place to stop the spread of this virus. Even with the new metrics, continued spikes in Deschutes County will limit our ability to serve our students.”

St. Charles Hospital System reports that, as of Monday morning, November 9, there are 15 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Four of those COVID-19 patients are in the ICU and two are on a ventilator.

St. Charles has 24 ICU beds in Bend and six in Redmond for a total of 30 throughout the health system.