Kerrville schools report 42 new COVID-19 cases; Peterson had 46 COVID-19 patients over weekend

The continued chaos COVID-19 has unleashed on Kerrville schools continued on Tuesday with at least 42 cases at four schools.

Parents tracking the number of cases in Kerrville Independent School District said, Peterson Middle School had 13 cases, while Tivy High School had 12. BT Wilson had eight, and Starkey Elementary School had four. There were no reports for Tally, Nimitz and Daniels elementary schools.

In the last two weeks, KISD had about 200 cases — mostly students. However, at least 20 staff members have tested positive since Aug. 30. Since the start of the 2021-2022 school year, KISD has had at least 349 cases — easily surpassing the totals for the 2020-2021 school year.

It's unclear how many infections are among students, but it may be as high as 272. KISD lost approximately 2,000 days of instruction from COVID-19-related absences in the first month of the school year. The Texas Education Agency requires students to miss 10 days, per the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, after testing positive for COVID-19.

While Kerrville schools faced their outbreak, the situation at Peterson Regional Medical Center came into greater attention on Tuesday. Labor Day weekend saw 46 patients hospitalized at the hospital before falling to 40 on Tuesday, Peterson officials confirmed.

However, The Lead learned from a source close to the hospital that people swamped Peterson's Urgent Care Center seeking care for COVID-19. The source, who is not authorized to speak for the hospital, said more than 130 sought testing for COVID-19, with at least 50 testing positive.