Peoria Unified reports nearly 330 COVID-19 cases since first day of school

As the Peoria Unified School District moves into its third full week of school, there has been a rising number of cases at school sites throughout the district, as well as across the city.

There have been 329 cumulative cases on campuses since Aug. 4 and 190 student cases with campus exposure Aug. 16-20.
There have also been 19 staff cases with campus exposure, Aug. 16-20.

In the Peoria area, cases are at 30,757 compared with 29,765 this time a week ago, a difference of 992, according to Arizona Department of Health Services.

This is an increase of about 15% since the beginning of June, and 23% since the beginning of April.

PUSD officials said there were 1,690 students recommended for quarantine as a close contact of an individual who tested positive.

The high schools with the most number of cases since the first day of school are Liberty with 42, Centennial with 22, Ironwood with 20, Sunrise Mountain with 14 and Peoria High with 13.

The elementary schools with the most number of cases are Lake Pleasant with 28; Oasis with 15; Cheyenne and Zuni Hills with 12; Cotton Boll, Foothills and Vistancia with 9, Sky View with 10; Frontier, Sahuaro Ranch and Sunset Heights with 8, Coyote Hills and Paseo Verde with 6.

This puts the district at nine schools that have been labeled outbreaks by Maricopa County — Raymond S. Kellis, Sunset Heights, Oasis, Paseo Verde, Ironwood, Lake Pleasant, Cotton Boll, Frontier and Peoria High. The previous week, three schools had been labeled as outbreaks.

Although PUSD has continued to have masks optional, officials encourage all staff and students to follow the district’s COVID-19 mitigation strategy, which was updated earlier this summer.

More than 37,000 students attend PUSD, which has a staff of more than 3,700.