Loudoun County is reporting a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, specifically in teenagers. Health officials say about 100 teens have tested positive and the spike traces back to a beach trip in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Dozens of Loudoun County "Beach Week" attendees from multiple parts of the county brought home new COVID-19 cases.
“We’re now up to about 100 individuals that have become infected as a result of this trip and there still may be more out there," said Dr. David Goodfriend, the Loudoun County health director.
Goodfriend said his office traced the infections back to a trip to Myrtle Beach.
Liz Carter is a Loudoun County parent and heard about the spike in cases.
“I’m not surprised. I’m seeing people posting about their vacations," she said.
She said she’s also seeing parents post their demands that all students return to school in-person 100% of the time in the fall. She said she isn’t ready for that.
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"We’ve gotta do something. We’ve gotta act now. This is happening very quickly," she said.
Health officials say the virus isn't going anywhere.
“It really is a wake-up call to us that the virus is still here," Goodfriend said.
Carter and other parents started a Facebook group to discuss alternatives.
Amanda Bean, another county parent, suggested the younger students go back in full but that they be spread out throughout every school building, including the middle and high schools.
“I would like to see elementary school be prioritized because if we don’t get those kids back, we have a massive childcare crisis," she said.
