Stats: New cases reported by LI schools up 64% in 2 weeks
The number of reported COVID-19 infections in schools are up 64% in roughly the past two weeks, from the 3,920 residents ages 5-17 reported infected between Sept. 1 and Sept. 27, according to the latest lab reports compiled by the state Department of Health.
State and local authorities have said that infection rates remain manageable in a region with a school population exceeding 400,000 students. Authorities have stepped up efforts to notify the public of the numbers of students, teachers and other school staffers affected.
State health officials began requiring districts to report cases on its website in mid-September. Many districts started informing parents weeks earlier.
However, the Hempstead district, which is the largest K-12 system in Nassau, came under fire recently for failing to report cases to Albany, as required by the state. The district’s superintendent, Regina Armstrong, told Newsday on Wednesday that COVID-19 data would be reported properly starting this week.
See the number of COVID-19 cases in your district.
Meanwhile, Nassau County is making a renewed effort to increase low vaccination rates among 12- to 17-year-olds. County Executive Laura Curran said her administration would partner with the state Health Department and Northwell Health to help increase the vaccination rates with free movie tickets, gift cards and sweepstakes to win tickets to NFL games, and with special vaccine events this month.
Plus: Nassau and Suffolk County health commissioners discussed infection rates in schools, how breakthrough cases are being reported and which variants are prevalent here in a recent Newsday Live webinar. Watch it here.
This chart below shows the number of new cases reported on Long Island over the past month.
Search a map of new cases and view more charts showing the latest local trends in vaccinations, testing, hospitalizations, deaths and more.
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Erin Serpico is an assistant web producer who joined Newsday in November 2018. Originally from New Jersey, she now covers community events and produces local content for newsday.com while also helping run the homepage.
