MDH: Eleventh school staff member dies of COVID-19 this school year
Photo: AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File. In this Thursday, March 11, 2021 file photo, desks are arranged in a classroom at an elementary school in Nesquehoning, Pa. In the fall of 2021, vaccinated teachers and students should no longer wear masks inside school buildings and no one need bother with them outside, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday, July 9, 2021, in relaxing its COVID-19 guidelines.
(ABC 6 News) – Eleven school workers have now died of COVID-19 during the current school year, according to the weekly data release from Minnesota Department of Health, which reported the latest death.
“These are numbers we never want to see increase, as each number is a tragic loss and a reminder that this pandemic is not over,” said Denise Specht, president of Education Minnesota. “These unfortunate deaths serve as a reminder to us all to come together and do everything possible, inside our schools and in our communities, to protect each other, especially with new variants emerging.”
As of the most recent state report of infections associated to schools, 19 school staff members and three students have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. The state data includes schools of all kinds, including public, private and charter schools.
The Minnesota Department of Health does not provide specific details about COVID-19 deaths associated with schools. Education Minnesota continues to ask the department to release anonymous summary information about the school staff members who have died and the more than 500 students and staff members who have been hospitalized with COVID-19. This information would help school district decision-makers improve safety protocols for students and staff.