BOSTON (WHDH) - About 1,100 Boston Public Schools teachers and staff members called out sick Wednesday on the district’s second day of classes following the holiday break as new COVID-19 cases continue to surge.
A total of 658 teachers and 300 paraprofessionals were among those who phoned in with an illness, according to a BPS spokesperson. There were also 47 school buses left without a driver.
Student attendance across the district also dipped to 71 percent, the spokesperson said.
There were 228 new COVID-19 cases reported among teachers and staff on Tuesday, as well as 289 cases among students.
Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius stepped in to teach a classroom full of elementary school students on Wednesday morning in an effort to help alleviate the crunch for help.
Cassellius says she expects the number of sick calls to climb in the coming days.
The district’s goal is keep students learning in the classroom, but Cassellius warned parents of possible cancellations in the coming weeks as officials work to manage the virus outbreak.
On Tuesday, 42 schools had 20 percent of their staff out sick.
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