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COVID-19 cases on the rise as school begins

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Posted at 4:52 PM, Aug 18, 2021
and last updated 2021-08-19 09:37:22-04

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — COVID-19 cases are on the rise less than a week since the Shawnee Mission School District's first day of school.

Seven tests came back positive after testing 89 individuals on Aug. 17, which resulted in a 7.9% positivity rate.

The tested individuals include students, staff and family members.

As the fall continues, SMSD Chief Communications Officer David Smith expects cases to continue to rise.

"We anticipate our dashboard will be up next week, once we have a full week of data from schools," Smith said.

The exact number of people in quarantine is currently unknown.

"Unlike last year, our nurses are not contact tracing this year; that is the responsibility of the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment," Smith said.

Masks are required inside all schools in the district.