Student absentee rates rise amid Arizona COVID-19 virus surge

School districts work to adapt to COVID-19 spike

Across Arizona and much of the nation, students and staff are heading back to the classroom following winter break, but health leaders are worried that it's only going to lead to much more COVID-19 cases.

PHOENIX - Higher than normal student absentee rates were reported Jan. 5 in metro Phoenix, where many school districts resumed classes even as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations surged across Arizona.

Officials with the Cartwright Elementary School District that oversees 21 K-8 schools with nearly 15,000 children in greater Phoenix said they recorded 3,051 students absent Monday, 2,319 on Tuesday and 2,256 on Wednesday.

That compared with about 1,600 absences on both the first day of fall and the last day of school in December, said Veronica Sanchez, the district’s director of public relations. She said teacher absences were also up, but didn't have exact figures.

MAP: Arizona Coronavirus cases by zip code

The district mandates the use of masks and provides rapid COVID-19 tests at a centralized location.

Gov. Doug Ducey on Tuesday took what he called "preemptive action" to keep school public schools open and give students access to in-person instruction despite rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in Arizona and nationwide. The new program would give private school vouchers to parents of students whose schools close or move to remote learning.

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey creating new benefit program for parents negatively impacted by school closure

Gov. Ducey's Opening For Learning Recovery Benefit Program aims to provide money to parents who may face financial and educational barriers because of a school closure. 'We are making sure parents and families have options if a school closes its doors,' Gov. Ducey said.

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Arizona increased on Wednesday for the fourth straight day and the state's seven-day rolling averages for virus cases and deaths both rose over the previous two weeks.

There were 2,555 COVID-19 patients occupying hospital inpatient beds statewide as of Tuesday, up from 2,283 on Saturday, according to the state’s coronavirus dashboard.

COVID-19 surge in Arizona: 90% of cases are omicron variant, ASU says

According to doctors at Arizona State University, 90% of coronavirus cases being diagnosed in the state are the omicron variant.

The dashboard on Wednesday showed 61 additional COVID-19 deaths and 7,749 additional confirmed cases, increasing the state's pandemic totals to 24,570 deaths and 1,419,562 cases.

The state's rolling average of daily deaths rose from 71.3 on Dec. 20 to 75.3 on Monday while the rolling average of daily new cases more than doubled from 2,947 to 7,017.1 during the same period, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

Arizona has the fourth-highest COVID-19 death rate among U.S. states, with 334 deaths per 100,000 people, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Other virus-related developments:

—The Havasupai Tribe in northern Arizona said it will keep tourists from visiting its reservation deep in a gorge off the Grand Canyon until at least June now because of the pandemic. The reservation is renowned for its blue-green waterfalls that draw tourists from around the world. It has been closed to visitors since March 2020.

Arizona COVID-19 resources, FAQ: azdhs.gov/coronavirus

In order to protect yourself from a possible infection, the CDC recommends:

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
Monitor your health daily