24 New COVID Cases Reported Within Baltimore City Schools, Teacher's Union Says
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Baltimore City Schools' Teacher Union said its received notification of 24 new COVID-19 cases across 19 different schools Thursday afternoon.
In a tweet Friday morning, the union stated the data is "particularly alarming" because the city schools are considering relaxing safety guidelines and that they are planning to further expand in-person learning to six additional grades.
This data is particularly alarming given that:
— Baltimore BTU (@BTUBaltimore) March 19, 2021
-@BaltCitySchools is considering RELAXING safety guidelines right now
-@BaltCitySchools is planning on FURTHER EXPANDING, opening up another 6 grades on top of the grades that have just begun to expand in person programming
Earlier this week, more Baltimore City Public School students were able to return to the classroom. It was on the same day officials announced 13 pooled COVID-19 tests conducted within the district last week came back positive.
The district tweeted it conducted 253 pooled tests covering nearly 3,300 people. Last month, officials outlined their plans for weekly COVID-19 testing in schools; as part of those plans, they said elementary and middle school students would swab themselves and results would be pooled by classroom.
When a classroom pool has a positive test, all of its students and staff will need to quarantine, according to the plan.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.