11 Brentwood schools report 15 COVID-19 cases among staff, students 3 days into new school year

BRENTWOOD, Calif. (KGO) -- After a year of distanced learning for Brentwood Union School District students and staff were back together in the classroom once again.

But the welcome home was disrupted just three days into the new school year as COVID-19 once again reared its head.
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Fifteen positive cases amongst students and staff were reported within the district's 11 schools.

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"We're scared, but at the same time we think it's important for kids to go back to school," said Wedelio Buyan, a parent.

Buyan hopes this trend doesn't continue so his seventh grader won't have to go back to online learning.



Molly Willbergh says it's concerning, but she's confident in the school district's plan to keep her little one safe.

"I think the precautions they have in place, they're masking indoors, they're taking all the necessary steps, they're cleaning regularly, so I feel really safe with my kids being there," Willbergh said.

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Thanks in part to this plan, the district says contact tracing showed none of the reported cases were contracted at any one of their elementary or middle schools.

Superintendent Dana Eaton provided ABC7 News with the protocols that go into place following a positive case:
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School is notified of positive COVID case

School Notifies school site Nurse Team representative, district leadership

Contact tracing occurs in collaboration with Nurse Team

Personal contact (phone or in person) with all identified close contacts (within 6 feet for 15 minutes)

Follow up with letter to all close contacts

Close contacts are placed in appropriate quarantine procedure by school nurse following CDPH guidance and County Health input (if appropriate)

Cleaning of affected classroom if appropriate as directed by school nurse team and principal

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Notification to all school staff via email

RELATED: American Academy of Pediatrics recommends universal masking in schools for everyone older than 2

Superintendent Eaton also said in a statement: "Our goal is to follow the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Safety Guidance to prevent the spread of positive cases at school. This includes indoor masking by all regardless of vaccination status, hand washing and cleaning and sanitation protocols."



The district says the schools will remain open despite the cases.

But if they want to stay open, UCSF Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Peter Chin-Hong says the community needs to do their part.

"At the end of the day, vaccinations, for those eligible, is still going to be the best way of combating this," Dr. Chin-Hong said. "If you want to protect the kids under 12, you need to make the ring of vaccinated adults around them. Most of the transmissions in the past year in the United States have been from adults to kids."

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While some parents are worried about keeping kids in school, others in the district are pulling their kids out because they are required to mask up.



A group is organizing protest for Monday at 8a.m. at Garin Elementary to call for an end of the student mask mandate.



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