The number of COVID-19 cases has nearly doubled, from 11 to 20, in one week in Northampton Area School District.

Nine more positive cases have been reported since Oct. 26, prompting NASD Superintendent of Schools Joseph S. Kovalchik to warn there may be a return to full-time online learning.

“There’s a chance that we may have to go all remote in our school district. But we’re not there yet. The numbers are rising,” Kovalchik said in an Oct. 27 video chat.

“The district will stay as is for now. We have the Cyber Academy, eLearning and the hybrid approach. We’re going to stay that way until after the holidays, into the Christmas season and December. We’re going to be evaluating as we go,” Kovalchik said in the video chat, taped before the latest COVID-19 spike in the district.

When contacted concerning the spike of cases, Kovalchik replied Nov. 2, “If cases would continue to increase, there is a chance that we could implement Academic Plan C, which is full online for all students.

“We are not at that point, but as we all know, the situation changes daily. COVID cases are on the rise in the county, and we ask all to follow the health and safety procedures established by the health professionals,” Kovalchik said.

In the hybrid system for the 2020-21 school year, students attend in-person classes two days per week and online classes three days per week.

As of Nov. 2, NASD confirmed the following coronavirus case tally by school: Northampton Area High School, 12 (including an eLearning student and a presumed positive); Northampton Area Middle School, 2; Lehigh Elementary School, 2; George Wolf Elementary School, 2 (including an eLearning student); Siegfried Elementary School, 1; and Franklin Elementary School, 1.

In letters Nov. 2 and 3, two letters Oct. 30 and a letter Oct. 29 to parents, guardians and staff, Kovalchik issued alerts about eight new cases, seven of which are confirmed positives and one of which is a presumed positive.

All of the schools remain open and are being cleaned and disinfected according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, Kovalchik said.

In the Nov. 3 letter, Kovalchik stated NASD was notified of one confirmed case of coronavirus at NAHS, where the individual last attended school Oct. 29.

In the Nov. 2 letter, Kovalchik stated NASD was notified of two confirmed cases of coronavirus, one confirmed case at George Wolf Elementary, where the individual was last in school Oct. 29, and one confirmed case at the high school, where the individual was last in school Oct. 22. The individuals are from different households, Kovalchik said.

In the second Oct. 30 letter, Kovalchik stated NASD was notified of two confirmed cases of coronavirus at Northampton Borough Elementary Schools. One confirmed case was at Franklin Elementary, and one confirmed case was at Siegfried Elementary.

“The two individuals are from the same household. The individuals last attended school Oct. 23. The Borough Elementary Schools will remain open at this time,” the second Oct. 30 letter states.

In the first Oct. 30 letter, Kovalchik stated NASD was notified of one confirmed case at NAMS and one presumed case at NAHS.

“The two individuals are from the same household. The individuals last attended school Oct. 23 and were not at school during any infectious periods,” the letter stated.

In the Oct. 29 letter, Kovalchik stated NASD was notified of two confirmed cases of coronavirus. One confirmed case was at George Wolf Elementary, involving an eLearning student who had not attended school for in-person instruction or participated in after-school activities this school year, and one confirmed case was at NAMS, where the individual last attended school Oct. 23.

The letters are posted on the NASD website, under COVID-19 Information. To view the Oct. 27 video chat, visit youtube.com/watch?v=u91CVP5wE-Y.

The NASD Board of Education is scheduled to meet 6:30 p.m. Nov. 9 in the cafeteria of NAMS, 1617 Laubach Ave., Northampton. The public may attend. Face masks must be worn, and social distancing will be observed.