Photo: Aurelia Ventura / Real America News
Near 600, 000 Los Angeles Unified School District students return to face-to-face classes this Monday .
Since March 2020 classrooms were closed due to the outbreak of the COVID pandemic – 19. However, the resumption of activities occurs at a time when the coronavirus presents a new wave due to the presence of the Delta variant of the SARS CoV-2 virus, which presents a greater range of contagion.
Among the population affected by this variant there are children and young students , as already manifested in Bay Area counties or last week in the Hacienda Unified School District, in the San Gabriel Valley, where eight schools registered several positive cases just days after resuming classes .
WATCH the Welcome Back to School Opening Address! Featuring outstanding performances from our amazing and talented students and special guests. https://t.co/8f4GObQz3s pic.twitter.com/To19 JMUbRK
– Los Angeles Unified (@LASchools) August 12, 2021
In a message prior to the resumption of classes in person, the Interim Superintendent of the Unified School District, Megan K. Reilly, assured that have the highest safety standards against COVID – 19 .
“Our preparations for the start of the new school year include continuing to require masking for all students, staff, and visitors; maximize physical distancing as much as possible, continue comprehensive sanitation efforts, including frequent hand washing; updated air filtration systems; ongoing COVID testing and community involvement; as well as collaboration with partners and health agencies to support free vaccination against COVID, “said the official.
Students and school staff will have COVID screenings every week
Reilly indicated that all students and workers, both those who are already vaccinated and those who have not yet and who attend classes in person, must submit to COVID checks – 19 every week , starting the tests since last August 2.
In the statement no clarified if this measure also applies to children under 12 years, segment of the population not yet eligible to receive the vaccine.
Los Angeles Unified School District is the second largest in the United States after New York City . There are registered 1, 424 schools, having the elementary schools as the level with the most schools, with 436.
Of the student population registered by the District, on 36. 4% are Latino , the 12. 5% are White, 7.5% are black, 3.9% are Asian, 2% are Filipino and the rest of other ethnicities.
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