TEMPE, Ariz. — A combined 26 active cases of COVID-19 have been reported at five of Tempe Union High School District's six high schools, forcing a pause in football activities at Desert Vista High School.
The report of outbreaks comes two days after students returned to school on Aug. 2.
Megan Sterling, community relations director for the district, said 24 of those cases are among students and two are among staff.
Ten of those cases were reported at Mountain Point High School and nine cases at Desert Vista.
Sterling said initial contact tracing began on Monday when the administration was notified that there were positive cases at Desert Vista. Contract tracing found:
- Six football players were positive (and subsequently quarantined)
- 16 additional players have been quarantined (due to exposure to those original six)
- 105 students across Desert Vista's varsity and junior varsity teams are impacted by the pause in activity
A pause in activity applies to athletics, according to the Arizona Interscholastic Association, which means no meetings, practice, games or scrimmages.
AIA guidelines advise that if a team experiences three or more positive COVID-19 cases, there should be a pause in activity.
Practice is anticipated to resume on Monday, August 9, Sterling said. Official practices at large high schools in Arizona do not start until Monday.
>> See the district-wide COVID tracker
The total population of students and staff in the TUHSD is 14,569.
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