UPDATE: This evening MISD made the decision to cancel classes on Friday explaining they will have a number of staff absences due to COVID-19. MISD also announced they are canceling all external school day field trips through February 1, 2022.
When students returned from winter break, COVID-19 returned with them, and the case numbers across campuses are rising rapidly. Yesterday Midlothian ISD reported the most cases ever since the beginning of the pandemic, and today there are seven campuses in the “yellow tier”. Total active cases increased from 241 active yesterday to 298 active cases today.
*Cases include both staff and students.
The “yellow tier” means active cases at a campus are between 2-4.9%. Currently, Longbranch Elementary (3.17%), LaRue Miller Elementary (2.53%), Mt. Peak Elementary (4.04%), J.A. Vitovsky Elementary (3.19%), Walnut Grove Middle School (2.60%), Heritage High School (2.40%), and Midlothian High School (3.27%) are in yellow.
When a campus reaches the yellow tier, MISD implements the following restrictions:
- *All MISD COVID mitigation efforts are in place AND:
- No visitors allowed during the normal school day
- No-contact student checkout procedures
- Sanitize more frequently
Ellis County is reporting a record amount of new cases, active cases and positivity rate. As of today there are an estimated 4,828 active COVID cases in the county, and 69 patients in the hospital. Ten patients are in the ICU and 59 patients are on the medSurg unit. Ellis County’s COVID positivity rate is 43%. Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been 499 fatalities from COVID-19 in Ellis County.
The state shattered previous records today with 75,817 new COVID-19 cases in one day (that’s confirmed and probable cases).
From Texas DSHS: New cases are skyrocketing. COVID has never spread this fast in Texas.
Hospitalizations rising rapidly. Fatalities increasing.
#COVID19TX update:
⬆️44,036 new confirmed cases (7-day avg)
⬆️92 fatalities reported (7-day avg)
⬆️11,571 current hospitalizations
Texas has reported over 300,000 new COVID cases in the last week. That’s:
🏈Enough to fill Kyle Field or Darrell K Royal 3⃣times
🏙️Nearly the population of Corpus Christi
📈~7.1% of total Texas reported cases all pandemic
🤠~1% of the entire Texas population
🤒1 in 3 new COVID tests are positive (35.6%)
Meanwhile other districts in Ellis County have so many student and staff cases they have decided to cancel classes Thursday and Friday, observe Martin Luther King Day on Monday and return to campus on Tuesday the 18th. Red Oak ISD is having a staff development day on Friday, student holiday and returns on Tuesday. In Tarrant County, Mansfield ISD has closed six elementary campuses until Tuesday.
For those looking for a COVID-19 test in Midlothian, Curative currently has appointments on Saturday and Sunday for their testing kiosk at the MISD Multipurpose Stadium. Remember demand is high and slots fill quickly. CVS and Walgreens have had at home tests in and out of stock, you need to swing by in person to check as their phone lines are staying busy and they will not hold tests.
