More Than 65K Los Angeles Students And Staff Test Positive For COVID-19 As In-Person Classes Prepare To Resume

Dillon BurroughsJanuary 11, 2022

More than 65,000 students and staff members in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) have tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss class as students prepare to return to in-person learning.

The information was shared in a Monday update from the LAUSD ahead of a planned return to in-person instruction on Tuesday.

As we prepare to welcome our students and employees back to school tomorrow, we know there is apprehension and we’ve added extra layers of protection for the return to school. pic.twitter.com/RLr0iAvxvX

— Los Angeles Unified (@LASchools) January 11, 2022

The notification stated 65,630 students and employees had tested positive as of January 10 at 4 p.m. Testing is required for “all individuals” before the return from winter break.

Weekly testing will be required for “all individuals” through the end of January. The requirement is regardless of a person’s vaccination status.

In addition, the school district has also announced required masking at all times, both indoors and outdoors. Free vaccination and booster clinics are also scheduled.

Students and staff members will be required to complete a Daily Pass health check before attending school on campus each day.

Thank you to our students and employees for completing your Daily Pass health checks before leaving for school in the morning, and we appreciate your patience as we support other employees and students to complete their health and safety requirements for coming onto campus.

— Los Angeles Unified (@LASchools) January 11, 2022

The LAUSD had already ranked among the strictest in the nation for school requirements regarding masking and vaccinations.

An earlier update to families noted vaccination will be required for students 12 and older by the start of the fall semester for in-person attendance.

Don’t Forget to Review the District’s Updated COVID-19 Policies for the Spring 2022 Semester Beginning January 11, 2022!@lausdLDE @LAUSDLDSouth @LASchoolsNW @lausd_ldc @LDNESchools @LAUSD_LDWest pic.twitter.com/LtJmFwggFZ

— Los Angeles Unified (@LASchools) January 10, 2022

The school district’s website also noted:

Anyone 5 years or older is eligible for the two-dose Pfizer vaccine.Booster shots are available for anyone 16 and older, at least six months after their second dose.

“Keeping our schools safe is a top priority for Los Angeles Unified. We all have a role in keeping our schools safe. Thank you for doing your part,” the website said.

Students who have tested positive for the virus are able to return on the sixth day following a positive test under certain conditions.

“Individuals who test positive may be released from isolation and return to school on Day 6 (six days after the date of their positive test), provided all symptoms are improving, they are fever-free for the past 24 hours without fever-reducing medication, and they have a negative (antigen) test result from a test taken on Day 5,” the school district’s website shared.

The school district originally required students 12 and older to be vaccinated in order to attend classes in-person for the spring semester. The Daily Wire previously reported:

The Los Angeles Unified School Board has announced it will delay its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for students until fall 2022, citing concerns with tens of thousands of students who would have been banned from attending school in person.

Interim Superintendent Megan Reilly revealed the plan on Friday, noting more than 28,000 students who had not yet complied in time for the spring semester, according to the Los Angeles Times.

News Release: Due to High Vaccination Rates, District to Discuss Delaying Transfer of Students Not in Compliance with Vaccine Requirement to Online Instruction Until Fall 2022 https://t.co/MgDV655uyo

— Los Angeles Unified (@LASchools) December 10, 2021

According to the previous plan, students 12 years old and older would be required to shift to remote learning. The massive shift would have overwhelmed the district, according to the report.

“I felt like we were ending up with a situation in which those who complied would be the most negatively affected,” school board member Jackie Goldberg told the Times. “I think we have no choice.”

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