PAGE A6, KEIZERTIMES, NOVEMBER 12, 2021
Multiple McNary students and staff
members test postive for COVID-19
By JOEY CAPPELLETTI
Of the Keizertimes
Five students and fi ve staff members
at McNary High School tested positive
for COVID during the week ending on
Oct. 30, bringing their total positive
cases since school started to 38.
Positive COVID cases in the Salem-
Keizer School District have remained
relatively low since school began, with
412 positive cases amongst students
and 82 amongst teachers. That rep-
resents 1% of the student population
and 1.5% of the teacher population.
Five McNary staff members test-
ing positive during the last week of
October was an outlier however, as it
not only led the district but it also more
than doubled McNary’s total cases
amongst staff members this year. A
total of nine staff members have tested
positive at McNary this year.
According to district spokesman
Aaron Harada, 91.2% of staff across the
district are fully vaccinated and the
remaining have approved exceptions.
Ninety percent of the staff members at
McNary have been vaccinated.
Since the district doesn’t identify
the positions of staff members that
have tested positive, it is unknown
if any of those fi ve staff members are
teachers. Harada did say, however, that
the district contacts any staff and the
families of students who are identifi ed
as close contacts to a positive case.
The district has had fi ve instances
this school year of classes being moved
online due to an outbreak within the
class. As of Nov. 9, none of McNary’s
classes had been moved online.
Eleven students were identifi ed as
being close contacts during the week
ending in Oct. 30., with fi ve students
testing positive. According to McNary
head football coach Jeff Auvinen, one
Celtics player tested positive the same
week and 10 Celtic players were identi-
fi ed as close contacts.
Harada said the district will continue
to send out notifi cations about COVID
being reported in a school, with district
When They Do, Call Us
503.884.9681
kids
h
appen
or school nurses reaching out to indi-
viduals to let them know if they’ve
been identifi ed as close contacts.
Each week, the Salem-Keizer
COVID dashboard lists total cases, and
close contacts, amongst students and
teachers at each school as well.