TOLEDO, Ohio — Positive COVID-19 cases amongst students and staff are increasing in Lucas County schools, just a couple weeks into the new school year.
The state requires school districts share COVID-19 data every week.
Mary Piekarzewski has a daughter who goes to Washington Local Schools. It's one of many districts in Lucas County in which the number of students and staff testing positive for COVID-19 is rising.
"It's scary," Piekarzewski said. "But I'd rather her be in school learning than the online that we went through last year cause she struggled."
This week's numbers show one employee quarantined and 145 students quarantined which is a little more than 2% of the student population.
Four staff members tested positive and 29 students did too. There was no report done last week for comparison, as the school year just began.
School started two weeks ago for Toledo Public Schools. From Aug. 23 to 29, the district had four employees quarantined and 246 students quarantined.
The week before, there were zero employees quarantined and 57 students quarantined. That's a more than 330% increase. It's a little more than 1% of the student population.
This week's numbers also show eight employees were isolated, one more than last week and 37 students were isolated, an increase of 33.
Isolated means they had a positive test or a probable diagnosis.
As the numbers go up, Piekarzewski said the schools can only do their best to mitigate the spread of the virus.
Officials with the federation said they want the statewide mandate to keep schools open. COVID-19 infections have led to school districts closing across the state and thousands of students and staff missing school in quarantine or isolation.
"As long as they're taking their precautions and wearing their masks and sanitizing. Doing the best they can, I mean my daughter's fully vaccinated so... I'd rather see here in school than out of school."
Ohio Federation of Teachers calls for statewide mask mandate in schools
Officials with the Ohio Federation of Teachers said they want the statewide mask mandate to keep schools open. COVID-19 infections have led to school districts closing across the state and thousands of students and staff missing school in quarantine or isolation.
Locally there are multiple school districts in Lucas County where positive COVID-19 infections and quarantines have increased since the start of the school year.
For example at TPS, the number of students quarantined this week increased more than 330% from last week, a little more than 1% of the student population.
"I make [my daughter] wear her mask even before it was mandated. I told her, you know, in the hallways, in the lunchroom wear your mask. If you're sitting far away from the kids, you don't have to wear your mask so I'm torn," said Piekarzewski.
The federation isn't happy with Governor Mike DeWine's pilot program that will exempt students from being quarantined, regardless of whether masks or other mitigation efforts are in place.
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