More Central Texas schools require masks as cases among students surge

TONIGHT -- TWO MORE CENTRALTEXAS SCHOOL DISTRICTS SAYINGKIDS...NEED MASKS.

THE WACO-MCLEANNNOUNTY PUBLIC HEALTHDISTRICT SAYS NEARLY 800STUDENTS IN THE AREA HAVETESTED POSITIVE RFOCOVID-19... SINCE THEBEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YE.AR25 NEWS REPORTER ANDREWLAMPARSKI HAS MORE ON WHATHEALTH EXPERTS AND SCHOOLSRE ASAYING ABOUT THE RAPID SPREADIN THE CLASSRO.OMSTARTING TODAY, CONNALLY ANDMCGREGOR ISD'S ARE TELLINGSTUDENTS AND STAFF THEY'LLNEED TO MASK UP.

THIS COMES ASDISTRICTS ACROSS THE COUNTYSEE AN EXTREME DIFFENCREE INTHE NUMBER OF CASES IN SCHOOLSCOMPARED TO THIS TIME STYEAR.

FOR MCGREGOR ISD, THESCHOOL YEAR WAS OFF TO A GOODSTART... BUT ONLY FOARWEEK... (SOT 1) LENAMON: "WESTARTED CREEPING UP DURING THEFIRST FULL WEEK." (TRACK 2BY)THE END OF AUGUST, T NHEUMBERSHAD TAKEN A TURN FORHE TWORST.

(SOT 2) LENAMON: "WEHIT AN ALL-TIME HIGH O29FCASES IN ONE DAY." (TRACK 3)STARTING TUESDAY, THEDISTRICT IMPLEMENTED ATHREE-STAGSYE STEM.

SINCE MORETHAN TWO PERCENT OF STUDENTSIN ALL SCHOOLS HAVE TESTEDPOSITIVE, THEY'RE STARTING ATSTAGE TWO... THAT MEAN--S-MASKS REQUIRED FOR AT LEAST AWEEK.

LENAMON: "IT'S OBVIOUSLYOUR HOPE THAT THAT NUMRBEDROPS BELOW TWO PERCENT AND WECAN RETURN TO SOME SENSEF ONORMALCY." (TRACK 4) CONNALLYD ISRE- OPENED ITS DOORSTUESDAY AFTER CLOSING FOR AWEEK... IT LOST TWO TEACHERSTTOHE VIRUS IN FOUR DAYS.

INAN EMAIL TO PARENTS ON FRIDAY,THE DISTRICT WROTE--(GRAPHIC)"AS EDUCATORS, IT ISOUR DUTY TO KEEP OUR STUDENTSSAFEND A HEALTHY.

WE FEELINSTITUTING A MASK MANDATE ISA STEP TOWARDS DOING THIS."THE WACO- MCLENNAN COUNTYHEALTH DISTRICT IS URGINGOTHER SCHOOLS TO AT ASLETSTRONGLY ENCOURAGE MASKING.VERNER: "THE REAL PROBLEWITHMTRANSMISSION IN SCHOOLS COMESFROM THOSE PEOPLE WHO AREINFECT WEDITH COVID-19 AND DONOT YET HAVE SYMPTOMS." IN ALETTER TO SCHOOLS, THEDISTRICT POINTED OUT THAT STJU50 STUDENTS HAD TESTEDPOSITIVET ATHIS POINT LTASYEAR.

THIS SCHOOL YEAR?

THATNUMBER IS CLOSING INN EI OGHTHUNDRED.

(SOT 5) VERNER: "WEHAVE A TERRIBLE VACCINATIONRATE IN CHILDREN OLDER THAN12.

OUR ONLY OPTION IS TO DOTHE THING THAT REALLY TSCUDOWN ON TRANSMISSIONND ATHAT'S FOR EVERYONE TO WEAR AMASK." --- THE HEALTH DISTRICTTOLD ME THERE'S NO SIGN OFCOVID SPREAD SLOWING DOWN INTHE COUNTY ANY TIME SOON.

ASTHEY HAVE BEEN FOR MONS,THTHEY ENCOURAGE EVERYONEELIGIBLE FOR THE VACCINE TO GOGET IT.

IN MREGOCGR, ANDWRELAMPARSKI, 25 NE