(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — As the Chicago Public Schools system heads into winter break, CEO Pedro Martinez said he’s concerned about another surge in COVID-19 cases.
“The pattern has been very clear,” Martinez said Thursday. “After every single extended holiday we have seen a spike in cases. That’s without omicron. Omicron is just adding another layer of risk because it spreads so fast.”
Already, CPS has some classrooms that have switched back to remote learning due to a rise in coronavirus cases.
That’s why Martinez said it’s critical the district distributes 150,000 COVID tests. The priority goes to vulnerable communities, he said, ones that “have a combination of high COVID cases and low vaccination rates.”
Families who receive an at-home COVID test are asked to administer it to their child on Tuesday Dec. 28. That same day, they’ll be required to put it in a FedEx drop box, though Martinez says more drop-off locations will be announced next week.
“The goal is to get those tests in by Friday so that we will know of any positive cases, so that when we come back [on Jan. 3], we can be as safe as possible,” Martinez said.
The CEO said he expects more cases to come after the holidays, with more schools and classrooms at risk of going remote.
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