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By Griselda Zetino | KTAR
Arizona is one of the states with the most COVID-19 cases among children, and the state’s top health expert doesn’t believe schools are to blame for that.
New data by the American Academy of Pediatrics shows Arizona is one of 16 states with more than 100,000 COVID-19 cases among children. It’s also one of only 10 states with more than 7,000 cases per 100,000 kids.
“What we’ve seen here in Arizona is it’s not so much transmission in the classroom that’s the primary mechanism,” Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, recently said. “It’s the after-school and extracurricular activities as well as family gatherings or parties outside of school.”
She stressed schools are “one of the best and safest places to be.” She recommended students continue to wear a mask in school – even though it’s no longer a state requirement – and that they wash their hands often.