Amid Los Angeles County's latest COVID-19 surge, new cases and hospitalizations among kids have also increased, but they have the lowest rates by far.
"We recognize that given recent increases in cases, there is an anxiety around school reopenings,” said the county’s Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.
Ferrer said preventing transmission on campus will require layers of protection, including vaccinations for all who are eligible and indoor masking, which is required for everyone. Physical distancing is recommended, as is routine testing for all staff and students, if possible.
The Los Angeles Unified School District will require weekly testing for all staff and students regardless of vaccination status.
At a Wednesday night town hall with parents and county officials, Ferrer said the high percentage of vaccinated people will help protect students who are unable to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.
“In L.A. County, over 60 percent of the entire population now has received at least one dose of the vaccine. Among 12 and older, it's 70 percent in L.A. County,” she said.
“Those vaccines are super powerful, so we are going to really benefit from all of the vaccinated people that are surrounding us and that are surrounding our children that aren’t yet able to get vaccinated.”
Outbreaks in K-12 schools and programs have gone up recently. LAUSD is also offering independent online study programs for families hesitant about sending their children back to in-person learning.
Ferrer said there were seven reported last week, four involving youth sports. She does not anticipate outbreaks will shut down many schools.
However, there is a more likely scenario. If three or more cases pop up in a single room, that entire class may need to isolate or quarantine.