Pierce County Schools Have Already Seen 200+ COVID Cases: Report

PUYALLUP, WA — Kids have only been back in the classroom for a handful of days now, but districts across Pierce County have already seen dozens of COVID-19 cases in students and staff, according to a new report from The News Tribune.

In its report, The News Tribune compiled school COVID updates from across the county, and found several districts had already logged dozens of cases, including:

• 118 cases in students and 13 in staff at the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District.
• 45 cases at the Puyallup School District.
• 67 cases in Tacoma Public Schools.

The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department maintains a database on active COVID-19 outbreaks in county schools. At the time of the health department's latest update, posted Thursday, there were 10 active outbreaks in Pierce County schools, two in South Hill, 3 in Tacoma, and five in other cities. Together, the 10 outbreaks account for 36 outbreak-related infections.

State COVID-19 safety guidelines required that all of Washington's schools offer full-time, in person learning for the 2021-2022 school year, and there's indication right now that that will change. Instead, schools have been asked to prioritize COVID-19 safety regulations, requiring teachers and students to mask up while on school campuses and practice safe social distancing. Teachers are also required to take the COVID-19 vaccine, and need to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18.

>> Read the full report from The News Tribune.