Oakland Unified COVID cases are down; officials say protocols are working

OAKLAND, Calif. - COVID case rates in the Oakland Unified School District are down compared to the start of the school year. 

Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammel sent out a message to the community this weekend, explaining that she thinks the district's covid precautions are workin and that the number of covid cases right now - reflect that.

Data from the district shows at the start of the first week of school - there were more than 100 COVID cases among students districtwide and 16 cases among staff.

But for the week of Sept. 20, the numbers dropped to 15 cases among students and zero among staff.

The superintendent says frequent testing of students who've been in contact with covid positive cases, as well was indoor and outdoor masking and upgraded ventilation systems have worked.

Medical experts also say Bay Area schools are benefitting from the high vaccination rate among adults in our communities since kids are more likely to get COVID from an unvaccinated adult than from another student in a controlled, school environment.

The Oakland school board voted last week to require proof of vaccination for students 12 and up.

Johnson-Trammel says their next step is to figure out the logistics of how and when that requirement will take effect. An update will be provided at the next meeting in October.