Two new coronavirus cases were reported at Westlake High School on Thursday, bringing the total active cases for the district to nine, officials said.
According to the latest district data, the two new cases were reported as one student and one staff member. Six Westlake High students currently have the virus. Another 10 have been reported since Aug. 19 and have since recovered.
Three staff members have active cases of COVID-19, the disease linked to the coronavirus one at Forest Trail Elementary, one at Hill Country Middle School and the newest one at Westlake High. Another eight teachers reported having contracted the virus since Aug. 19 and have since recovered.
Eanes is home to nearly 8,000 students and employs more than 1,100 staff members across the district. Since Aug. 19, the district has reported 20 total cases eight staff members and 12 students, 10 of whom were Westlake High School students.
Dr. Mark Escott, interim health authority for Austin Public Health, has said Travis County children and teens ages 10-19 are testing positive for the coronavirus at a rate three times higher than that of the general public. About 14% of 107 test results for those ages 10-19 came back positive, Escott said.
Those who test positive are excluded from participation in any in-person and on-campus activity until the school nurse or personal medical provider verifies the individual meets the return-to-school criteria set by local and state health authorities.
The district is only reporting active cases of students and staff who are onsite, including students who may only be on campus for activities or extracurricular activities. Students and staff in remote learning are not included in this count.
The district began the year from a distance on Aug. 19 and welcomed back about 25% of students on Sept. 8. This was the first time students had been back on campus since March.
On Sept. 21, more students who opted for in-person learning, returned to Eanes campuses. The district said that was equivalent to about 52% of students on campuses across the district.
Under new Texas Education Agency rules, campuses will be required daily to report any confirmed coronavirus cases among staff and students to the Texas Department of State Health Services. The agency will keep a tally of the cases and publicly report the data by school district on its website. Districts also must continue to report such cases to their local health agencies, which is required by law.
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