About 3,000 students at Los Angeles Unified School District in California tested positive for COVID-19 just a week into the new school year. That was only the beginning, reported KTLA 5.
An additional 3,500 students were son quarantined after coming into contact with those that tested positive, bringing the figure to 6,500 and counting.
One in every 1,000 students tested positive at the beginning of the summer. By the end of the summer, six in every 1,000 students tested positive, and the cases just keep increasing. The district said it has about 450,000 students attending in-person classes.
Out of 60,000 employees, at least 1,000 missed a day of work because they were either infected or had contact with someone who was.
Most staff members are vaccinated, which provides strong but not full proof protection against the illness. All staff members will need to be vaccinated or undergo regular testing by Oct. 15, per state requirements.
LAUSD Interim Superintendent Megan Reilly emphasized that schools are a safe place to be for students. She also listed measures of protection like high-grade HVAC filters, masking indoors and outdoors, daily health screening, and weekly testing.
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