BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The fig of children with COVID-19 is rising nationwide with astir 93,824 caller pediatric cases reported past week. That is up 143 percent compared to 2 weeks agone and astatine the highest level since February.
Howard County’s superintendent says teachers person been “very willing” to get vaccinated; “We person made vaccines a apical precedence for educators” 98-99% unit afloat vaccinated according to archetypal survey. @wjz
READ MORE: Lightning Strike Causes Fire In Germantown— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) August 10, 2021
“We’re truly acrophobic with the Delta variant taking power that we’re going to spot a important summation implicit the adjacent fewer weeks with schoolhouse reopenings being the large catalyst,” said pediatrician Dr. Heather Haq.
There were 151 caller covid cases reported Tuesday among children up to property 19 successful Maryland. That compares to 62 2 weeks agone accounting to information from the Maryland Department of Health.
Maryland reported 151 caller #COVID19 cases among those aged 0-19 today. Two weeks agone today, the fig was 62 caller cases. I spoke to the president of the Baltimore County teachers’ national contiguous astir whether vaccines should beryllium mandatory for teachers @wjz pic.twitter.com/znGPPKZbCh
— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) August 10, 2021
Howard County’s superintendent wants students backmost successful people erstwhile schools unfastened successful 3 weeks but with a enactment of caution.
“We request to enactment precise alert of the hazard that the microorganism could dispersed successful a schoolhouse requiring students and unit to beryllium retired of the gathering for an extended play of time,” said Howard County Superintendent Dr. Michael Martirano.
629 caller #COVID19 cases successful Maryland; 424 radical present hospitalized; positivity complaint is 4.21%; 7 caller deaths @wjz pic.twitter.com/ve3dk0Benl
— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) August 10, 2021
The region wellness section is urging children 12 and older to get vaccinated and featured the O’Neil-DeCou household successful a caller video.
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“We truly judge successful vaccination, and we consciousness that anyone who is capable to get the vaccination provided to them truly should spell retired and bash that,” said genitor Keith O’Neil.
When it comes to teachers and different staff, the vaccination complaint is precocious successful Howard County. “Our archetypal surveys had america adjacent to 98% oregon 99% of our unit were afloat vaccinated,” Superintendent Martirano said.
As students and educators hole to instrumentality to schoolhouse aboriginal this month, their wellness and information is our apical precedence — and expanding vaccination rates among students 12 and older is the champion mode to support them safe.https://t.co/ImG7SaOKKb
— County Executive Johnny Olszewski (@BaltCoExec) August 6, 2021
In Baltimore County, the teachers’ national (TABCO) is successful favour of vaccines but had this to accidental astir mandating the shots for teachers: “We are surely unfastened to having conversations with the schoolhouse strategy astir that possibility. There is thing successful place. There is nary speech astir that astatine this moment,” TABCO President Cindy Sexton told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren.
A disguise mandate for everyone wrong Baltimore County schoolhouse buildings went into effect Tuesday.
Baltimore County Public Schools disguise mandate goes into effect contiguous @wjz pic.twitter.com/r5p7Nhcj0t
— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) August 10, 2021
Baltimore County is holding respective schoolhouse vaccination clinics this week. You tin larn much astir wherever to get students vaccinated statewide here.
“One of the astir important things this twelvemonth is going to beryllium keeping students successful schoolhouse 5 days a week,” Sexton said.
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Schools reopen for the caller schoolhouse twelvemonth successful Baltimore County connected August 30.