A newborn baby drinks milk at the ICU of Obstetrics and Gynecology Department
A newborn baby drinks milk at the ICU of Obstetrics and Gynecology Department China Photos/Getty Images

Eighty-five Nueces County babies younger than age one reportedly tested positive for COVID-19, local officials said Friday. Annette Rodriguez, the county's public health director, urged the public to aid them in stopping the spread of the virus in a press conference.

The number of children diagnosed with the coronavirus makes up one percent of the county's total number of cases. As of Friday, health authorities recorded over 8,176 since the pandemic began in March.

Data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the spring showed infants made up nearly one percent of all cases recorded across the nation.

The C.D.C. also warned that while children are at a lower risk for the virus, infants may be at a higher risk for developing severe symptoms, U.S.A. Today reports.

Texas School Reopening

Dozens of teachers gathered in Downtown Austin on Saturday. They protested against plans to reopen schools this fall.

The plans were released on Friday, the same day health officials revealed dozens of infants tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The Texas Education Agency released guidelines that said schools could only operate online for the first month.

School systems can continue operating online for the first four weeks. However, they would be required to get a board-approved waiver request to the agency.

According to Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, their guidance would allow school systems flexibility to serve their students effectively. He also said the state would close schools when it has to.

The guidelines said children who do not have access to the internet or a device they can use to learn virtually may attend on-campus instructions. High schools can convert to a hybrid model. This means some students learn from home while others attend their classes in school.

Many teachers urge the agency to rescind its guidelines. They claim allowing students to return to campus would be unwise and unsafe amid the still-growing number of coronavirus cases in Texas.

Parents and students also joined the Saturday demonstration. A sixth-grader from Hays County said she would not feel safe returning to in-person classes, KVUE reports.

Texas COVID Cases

Nueces County has the fastest growth rate in new cases in Texas. Peter Zanoni, the city manager for Corpus Christi, said that until July, the county had a relatively flat trend.

In Corpus Christi, local officials recorded more than 8,100 coronavirus cases and 82 virus-related deaths. Dire situations in other Texas counties such as Cameron and Hidalgo have forced health authorities to stock up on refrigerated trucks to store bodies as morgues run out of space.

State representatives Sheila Jackson Lee and Joaquin Castro recently penned a letter to Texas Governor Greg Abbot. They urged the high-ranking official to grant local authorities the ability to issue stay-at-home orders to curb the virus's spread. They also encouraged the governor to rewind reopening efforts, as reported by CNN Health.

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