Hoover City Schools Reports 37 Coronavirus Cases

HOOVER, AL — Hoover City Schools reported 37 cases of COVID-19 this week in its weekly report to the Alabama State Department of Education.

Local education agencies are requested to enter the number of new COVID-19 cases among students and employees of which they are aware on a weekly basis.

Jefferson County Schools reported 87 cases of the virus, which was the highest total for the week of any school system in the state. Shelby County Schools reported 51 cases.

Schools across the state have seen a rise in COVID-19 cases among students and faculty in November, due in part to social gatherings, sporting events and interaction on campuses.

"There is an emerging body of evidence that shows young children (elementary aged) likely do not spread the virus easily and thus we must weigh the risk of transmission vs. the benefit of these children being in schools," said Dr. Rachael Lee, infectious disease physician at UAB. "For middle and high school students, there do seem to be transmission events similar to what we see with adults."

Lee added, "Ultimately, despite all of the work that we do to protect our children, high community rates, like what we are seeing nationally, places everyone at risk. We will see more quarantines and infections in children if we don't do our best to wear masks, maintain social distancing, and not going to work when we are sick."

Alabama has confirmed 26,185 new COVID-19 cases in the last two weeks, twice reporting more than 2,800 new cases in a single day. The Alabama Department of Public Health reported Wednesday that 1,289 patients in Alabama are currently hospitalized with COVID-19.

In the last week alone, 67 people have died from COVID-19 in Jefferson County.

This article originally appeared on the Hoover Patch