The NOLA Public Schools district is tracking five “active” COVID-19 cases among staff and students as of this week — none of the cases were newly reported in the last week. The cases have led to 42 quarantines, according to the district’s weekly case-tracking data posted Monday afternoon. 

Of the cases, four were among students and one among staff. All of the student cases were at high schools and the staff case is at Morris Jeff Community School where 19 students are quarantining. 

Reported cases in the district have continued to decline as the school year wrapped up, which was likely in part related to fewer students in the classroom in recent weeks. Each charter school controls their own calendar and they don’t all end on the same day. Most schools have begun summer school in recent weeks. 

The district is also working with charter schools and private health care providers to help interested students receive the COVID-19 vaccine in summer school. Now, students as young as 12 years old are eligible for it.

COVID-19 testing numbers have declined in the city in recent months as the city has shifted resources to providing the vaccine and universities, like Tulane University, have released students for the summer. Tulane ran a robust testing program during the school year.

Just over 60 percent of the adult population in the city have had one shot and 54 percent have been fully vaccinated. But that does not include children, only 43 percent of all city residents have been fully vaccinated. 

Experts in the New York Times today warned that the South, which has lower vaccination rates than the rest of the country, could face outbreaks this summer. If that does happen, it’s likely to affect people who haven’t been vaccinated.

Marta Jewson

Marta Jewson covers education in New Orleans for The Lens. She began her reporting career covering charter schools for The Lens and helped found the hyperlocal news site Mid-City Messenger. Jewson returned...