SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) – As kids head back into the classroom, making sure they stay healthy and protected against COVID-19 may be a concern for parents.
COVID-19 cases among children and in schools are being closely monitored by the San Francisco Department of Public Health.
Data shows that cases in those 18 and younger remain low and schools following proper safety protocols remain low-risk environments.
The SFDPH is also providing resources in San Francisco communities, such as:
- Free vaccinations for all eligible individuals
- Testing services
- Critical guidance and support to schools on COVID safety measures
- Case investigations and contact tracing at schools
School and children data will be updated weekly and be made public on the city’s dashboard.
As of Monday, September 6, pediatric cases remained less than 20% of total cases in San Francisco.
Over the course of the pandemic, pediatric cases have been fairly consistent. In the last few months, positive cases recorded in children were:
- August: 12.8%
- July: 10.8%
- June: 12.8%
- May: 17%
In addition, data shows that serious cases of COVID-19 in children are rare in San Francisco and vaccinations continue to be the best defense against the virus — About 90% of those ages 12 to 17 in San Francisco are fully vaccinated.
As of Wednesday, September 8, the San Francisco Unified School District has reported 227 cases out of about 52,000 students and nearly 10,000 staff.
As of Friday, September 3, 61 cases were reported in San Francisco’s private, parochial, and charter schools out of about 22,500 students and nearly 5,000 staff.
The Department of Public Health says that most of the infections have occurred outside of schools.
In regards to in-school transmission, data shows they have “been so low it cannot be publicly reported without concern for privacy and confidentiality. All other cases reported at schools were related to community transmission outside of school (as of September 8).”
At this time, no COVID-19 outbreaks have happened at San Francisco schools, camps, and learning hubs.
In the 2020-2021 school year, officials say that they were seven COVID cases transmitted on campuses. All other reports were community transmission outside of schools.
