Edwards: More than 5,000 Louisiana school children have tested positive for COVID in two weeks

Gov. John Bel Edwards gave an update to Louisiana’s response to COVID-19 Friday afternoon. 

Through two weeks of reporting from schools, 5,328 children and 750 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19, the governor said. There are 23,000 close contacts in state schools who have had to leave school, Edwards said. 

During the week of August 9-15, a total of 2,444 COVID-19 cases were reported among K-12 students and staff, according to Edwards. More cases were reported by Louisiana schools during the first week of this academic year than were reported in any week of last school year, he said.

Edwards said the numbers come from only 1/3 of the state’s schools reporting.

Community spread is too high, and schools can’t stay open without masks in place.

From the last couple of days, 28 percent of new state cases are children ages 0 to 17, Edwards said. “We need to be very mindful of the fact that while 2.2 million Louisianans have received the shot, not a single Louisianan under 12 has received the vaccine,” he said. “And it’s up to us, especially adults, to do what we can to protect all of our children.” 

Edwards said transmission is high, and that’s why health officials are recommending universal masking in schools. “Simply put: we cannot keep our schools open or our kids safe today without masks,” he said.

Locally, COVID forced Coteau Bayou Blue Elementary, Mulberry Elementary School’s 5th grade class and W. S. Lafargue Elementary’s 2nd grade class to go virtual earlier this week. 

The governor also noted that Louisiana is working to make monoclonal antibody treatments more accessible. He said 176 providers currently offer the treatment, and anyone who tests positive and shows symptoms should contact their doctor and ask about the treatment.