COVID outbreaks increase at L.A. County schools after mask mandate lifted

Simply weeks after the varsity masks mandate was lifted in California, Los Angeles County is seeing a rise at school coronavirus outbreaks, well being authorities stated Thursday.

There have been 14 faculty outbreaks reported within the county within the seven-day interval ending April 5, together with 12 at elementary colleges and two at excessive colleges, in keeping with the L.A. County Division of Public Well being.

“We’ve greater than tripled the variety of new outbreaks at colleges this previous week, and we’re seeing comparable numbers of outbreaks to what we skilled through the omicron surge,” L.A. County Well being Director Barbara Ferrer warned.

The rise in outbreak numbers is probably going tied to the elevated unfold of the extremely contagious BA.2 omicron subvariant, in addition to the lifting of indoor masking necessities at colleges and the change within the state’s quarantine steering, Ferrer stated.

California state officers and L.A. County dropped faculty masking necessities after March 11, although the face coverings remained strongly advisable.

The L.A. Unified Faculty District adopted swimsuit on March 23, permitting college students and academics to shed their masks indoors in school rooms as district officers stated the provision of vaccines had “modified the sport.”

Restrictions have been eased all through the state as case numbers have been declining following the omicron-fueled winter surge.

Now, L.A. County’s COVID-19 charges are starting to degree off and case numbers are not declining.

Ferrer stated that whereas the variety of faculty outbreaks is comparatively low, it’s “regarding” as a result of it means there’s extra virus transmission on campuses.

L.A. County authorities have additionally been seeing a better variety of instances related to latest outbreaks, Ferrer stated.

In a single instance, a currently-active COVID-19 outbreak at a highschool started with 26 instances and has since grown to 60 instances.

The excellent news is that well being officers have observed that the rise in outbreaks isn’t linked to a spike in coronavirus check positivity.

And since L.A. County’s emergence from the winter surge, there hasn’t been an uptick in instances amongst workers and college students at colleges.

Nonetheless, well being authorities are advising mother and father to have their youngsters masks up at college, even when it’s not required. And colleges are being advised to enhance air flow, monitor individuals for COVID-19 signs, make certain individuals uncovered are examined and never permitting those that check optimistic to return to high school.

Well being authorities have additionally been pushing for extra individuals to get vaccinated and boosted, with Ferrer warning that outbreaks are extra widespread within the decrease grades, the place there are sometimes a lot decrease vaccination charges for kids.

“Ought to we proceed to see will increase within the variety of outbreaks at colleges we’re going to work with our faculty companions to find out what further security measures are warranted for these colleges that have on web site transmission,” Ferrer stated.