2 NEISD employees tested positive for COVID-19 after attending 500-person convocation, district says

District was notified hours after event

SAN ANTONIO – Two employees with the North East Independent School District tested positive for COVID-19 after they attended an on-campus event, according to the district.

NEISD spokeswoman Aubrey Chancellor said the employees attended a one-hour convocation ceremony at the Legacy of Educational Excellence High School on Monday morning.

One staff member told the district about the positive test around 2 p.m. Monday, and the other notified the district that evening, she said.

“Whenever we learn of a student/staff positive case, we ask where all that individual was on campus and when,” she told KSAT on Friday. “Notifications are then sent to anyone who was in those same common areas.”

She said the common areas are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.

The convocation was attended by roughly 500 people, according to the San Antonio Report.

Masks will be required at NEISD since a Bexar County Civil District Court Judge granted San Antonio and Bexar County’s request for a temporary restraining order against Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order banning mandates in schools.

The district stated they will provide masks to students and staff as needed.

On Tuesday, the Metropolitan Health District issued a health directive that mandates masks in schools. The universal indoor mask mandate applies to all public schools from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

The mask mandate will stay — for now — as students head back to class amid another surge in virus cases, largely fueled by the delta variant.

Another court hearing for the temporary restraining order is slated for Monday.

Public health leaders in major urban areas across Texas have defied Abbott’s ban by implementing classroom face-covering requirements since many schoolchildren are ineligible for a shot.

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About the Author

Rebecca Salinas is an award-winning digital journalist who joined KSAT in 2019. She reports on a variety of topics for KSAT 12 News.

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