From June 2021, seventeen-year-old Terrence receives a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at Booker T. Washington High School after the CDC lowers the eligibility age to 12. (Marta Jewson/The Lens)

The NOLA Public Schools district is tracking three “active” COVID-19 cases tied to schools, according to its weekly update provided Monday. Those cases have led 82 people to quarantine. 

That’s fewer cases and quarantines than reported last week, but only about one-third of the city’s students are in summer school classes and those programs are slowly wrapping up.

All three cases are tied to  students at different campuses and of the cases, one was newly reported in the last week. No staff cases were reported.

The city has also seen a decline in cases in recent weeks as the percentage of fully vaccinated residents continues to grow. Nearly 46 percent of residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine and just over 50 percent of city residents are fully vaccinated, according to city reported data.

Louisiana remains one of the states with the lowest vaccination rates. Only about a third of residents have been fully vaccinated. However, Orleans Parish has one of the highest vaccination rates in the state, according to the Louisiana Department of Health

The district has partnered with nonprofit Community Organized Relief Effort — called CORE — to help provide free vaccines to students and community members. 

On Thursday, vaccines will be available to anyone over the age of 12 years old from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sarah T. Reed High School. The Johnson and Johnson vaccine, which only requires one dose, will be available for people 18 years of age and older. 

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...