CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – With the start of school less than three weeks away, Montgomery County is on the brink of the COVID-19 “medium spread,” which is one of the criteria that could trigger stopping students from attending in-person.

There are 1,034 active COVID-19 cases in Montgomery County as of Monday, Aug. 10, which is just below 0.5% of Montgomery County’s population.

The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System is using the criteria of 0.5% to 1%, or medium spread, as one of the factors that would lead it to keep schools closed.

“Yesterday, we did move from low to medium spread (.501%), but today’s percentage was back at the high end of low spread (.495%),” said Anthony Johnson, spokesman for CCMCS.

CMCSS will be looking at daily metrics before school starts and continuously after the first day, on Aug. 31, to determine if traditional students will continue to physically go to classes or shift to remote learning.

CMCSS will be operating on what’s called the Continuum of Learning, which is a model that allows the district to move from physical classes to remote school based on the daily conditions of the pandemic.

“The district considers several metrics in addition to other factors as it relates to moving individual schools or the entire district from traditional to remote,” Johnson said.

Students in K-12 Virtual are not affected by changes on the Continuum of Learning.

“While all metrics will be considered throughout the academic year, if Montgomery County reaches medium COVID-19 spread in the community, CMCSS and (the Montgomery County Health Department) will consider additional health and safety protocols for the traditional model or consider transitioning all students to remote learning as deemed necessary,” Johnson said. “If Montgomery County reaches high COVID-19 spread, CMCSS and MCHD will transition all students to remote learning.”

To reach medium spread, Montgomery County, whose population is approximately 209,000, would have to have 1,045 active cases.

A high rate of spread according to CMCSS metrics would be more than approximately 2,000 cases.

Holistic approach

CMCSS and the Montgomery County Health Department are taking a holistic approach and are, on a daily basis, reviewing several metrics in Montgomery County including:

• Total positive cases out of total tested.
• Number of new positives out of the number of new tests.
• New active cases per population (per 100,000 and per 50,000).
• Percent of COVID-19 spread in the community following the Tennessee Department of Health guidance for low spread, medium spread, and high spread.

Low, medium or high spread are based on the following scale:

• Normal Operations: 0 positive active cases
• Low spread: less than 0.5% active cases (up to 1,044 cases).
• Medium spread: 0.5% to 1% active cases (1,045-2,090 cases).
• High spread: Greater than 1% active cases (2,091 or more cases).

Click here for the current COVID-19 local data that is reviewed by CMCSS and MCHD on a daily basis. This data is provided by the Tennessee Department of Health.