More Than 1,200 Mass. Kids Test Positive For COVID-19 This Week
BRIDGEWATER (CBS) - In its weekly report of COVID-19 data, Massachusetts' Department of Elementary and Secondary Education revealed that 1,230 Massachusetts kids had tested positive for COVID-19 in just three days' time, from September 13 through September 15.
That represents only about 0.13 percent of the student population, most of which isn't eligible to be vaccinated yet.
"I think this really needs to be a warning to many that we're not back to business as usual," Dr. Mark Siedner, epidemiologist at Mass General told WBZ. "I think this really does reinforce that mask mandates in school are going to be necessary until this wave is behind us or kids can be vaccinated."
Different school districts are finding ways to combat small outbreaks. In Bridgewater, 13 kids and two staff members tested positive in one fourth grade classroom at the Williams Intermediate School.
The entire class is now quarantined.
In an email to parents, the Superintendent wrote, "[We] believe this cluster is only related to this classroom, however, we will continue to monitor this situation and work closely with local and state officials."
Parents of fourth graders who are not quarantined are concerned. "I don't understand," Amy Harding of Bridgewater told WBZ. "They all eat in the same cafeteria, like I don't know how it's just that one classroom."
In addition to the 1,230 kids who tested positive for COVID-19 in the three-day span, 190 staff members statewide did, too, representing about 0.14 percent of the population.