97,000 Children In The US Have Tested Positive For COVID-19 Amid School Reopenings
At least 97,000 children in the US have tested positive for COVID-19 amid school reopenings. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association have reported a 40 percent increase in child coronavirus cases in the last two weeks of July, around the time schools began gearing up for reopening.
Officials have noticed that the age for children differed by state, with some ranging from 0 to 14, and others up to 24. Since May, the novel disease has killed at least 86 children, including last week’s tragic news of a 7-year-old boy in Georgia, who had no pre-existing conditions. Earlier this month, two Florida teens passed away, becoming the state’s sixth and seventh COVID deaths among children 17 and under.
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Despite these reports, some states have still been moving forward with in-classroom instruction. Particularly, a Georgia high school was facing scrutiny after a viral photo showed packed hallways with unmasked students on the first day back to school at North Paulding High School. Following the photo’s release, updated reports confirmed at least nine people tested positive for COVID-19, six students and three staff members. Since, the school has switched to online-only classes for Monday and Tuesday. Officials sent a note home to parents, adding that they’d continue discussing if students can return to school or not.
RELATED: Nine People Test Positive For COVID-19 Amid Viral Photo of North Paulding High School