(La Porte, IN) - School buildings in La Porte, in response to current COVID-19 figures, will be open five days again next week.  La Porte County remains in the yellow under a color coded system developed by the state to decide how often school buildings are open weekly during the pandemic.

La Porte County was code blue until downgraded to yellow last week when diminishing COVID-19 figures began rising.  Under the yellow code, school buildings can remain open five weeks during the week as long as more stringent steps are taken to make sure all safety precautions, like wearing masks, are being adhered to, said La Porte Community School Corporation Superintendent Mark Francesconi.

“What comes along with that is an increased vigilance on our behalf,” he said.  On Thursday, the Indiana State Department of Health reported 47 new cases of coronavirus in La Porte County.  The seven day positivity rate in La Porte County stood Thursday at 7.7%.

There’s been change in the positivity rate here for about the past seven days.  According to school officials, 6 students and 7 staff members in La Porte tested positive for the virus last week.  In comparison, just 6 positive cases turned up during the first 5 weeks of the school year.