Teachers ask for virus protocols after student, staff deaths

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Members of Minnesota’s teacher’s union are calling on on school leaders to do more to protect students and staff after the state Department of Health reported the first student death from COVID-19 this school year.

Health officials said the student and two staff members died last week. That increased the total number of school fatalities since the start of the pandemic to two students and 13 school employees, including five workers this year.

Denise Specht, president of Education Minnesota, said district leaders should not ignore virus protocols and asked parents to make sure their teens are vaccinated. The trendline seems to be moving in the right direction. Cases of the coronavirus in Minnesota pre-K-12 schools have dropped by nearly 70% since mid-September.