HOUSTON - All Houston ISD campuses and offices will be closed Tuesday, Jan. 18 due to a rise in COVID-19 cases in the community.
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The district says staff are asked to not report to work, unless requested by a supervisor, and should take this Attendance Mitigation Day to "mitigate potential exposure" to the virus.
Meanwhile, students were already scheduled to be off Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Tuesday.
HISD cites Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo raising the county's COVID-19 threat level to red—the highest and most severe level.
MORE: Harris County COVID-19 threat level now highest category 'red'; more tests for school districts
The district also asked staff to follow the recommendations of local health officials and the CDC, including avoiding large gatherings, washing hands often, wear a mask, maintaining social distance, testing to prevent spread, and staying home if you are sick.
Students and staff are all set to return to campuses and offices on Wednesday.
For those who need COVID-19 tests, there are a couple free testing sites available:
- Free drive-through mega site at HISD’s Delmar StadiumTo register, visit HoustonHealth.org or call 832-393-4220
- Free drive-through mega site at HISD’s Butler StadiumAppointments are not required but available by calling 1-866-333-2684.
A list of campus testing sites and their weekly or bi-weekly schedules can be found at HoustonISD.org/HealthAlerts.
A one-time consent is required for on-campus testing and can be filled out at https://bit.ly/HISDC19Test.