Just a week after Berkeley Unified students and educators went back to school, officials said Thursday that COVID-19 cases have been documented at “a few” local schools, including at Berkeley High where cases have occurred through contact with sick students.
California is again experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases at the same time students are returning to school. Over the last few years, the virus has shown a tendency to surge in the late summer.
BUSD spokesperson Trish McDermott said Thursday in an email that two staff members at different schools reported COVID-19 cases since the start of the school year. A few cases were reported at Berkeley High, though some of those who reported having COVID were not infectious while on campus.
“(This) message was a reminder that COVID has not gone away,” McDermott said. “Anyone with symptoms should test, and those who test positive should follow public health guidance regarding returning to school/work.”
It’s been more than five years since COVID-19 closed campuses and upended daily life, and school districts have mostly moved on from the types of safety protocols that were implemented during the height of the pandemic. BUSD said in its announcement that most of the rules for student and staff safety set forth by the California Department of Health and the Division of Occupational Safety and Health have expired.
The district has stopped its contact tracing program, which alerted families and staff about close contact with infected individuals, and BUSD will only be required to record COVID-19 cases among staff through next February.
BUSD advises that staff self-report COVID-19 cases only if the illness was symptomatic and they were infectious while on a campus or at a BUSD facility. Employees can find more information and report a case using this form.
The district asks students exhibiting common COVID-19 symptoms such as a cough, fever, or runny nose to get tested as soon as possible, and stay home if they are sick. They can return to school once they have not had a fever for 24 hours without the aid of medication, and if other symptoms are “mild and improving,” according to district guidelines.
The district also recommends that students and staff who test positive mask for five and 10 days, respectively, and follow good hygiene practices.
The complete BUSD safety plan and COVID-19 guidance for the 2025-2026 school year can be found here.
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