ODESSA, Texas — We may be on the other side of the curve.
"It's been over the past couple weeks, it's just been this slow, a few less cases each day," Rebecca Rhodes, ECISD nursing director said. "We tend to be a direct reflection of what's going on in the community so as cases go up, our cases go up and as cases go down, our cases go down.
Today, 15 ECISD staff and students called out with COVID-19. This time last month, that number was closer to 60 or 70 cases.
For MISD, they currently have 111 active cases of COVID, but this time last month that number was more than double, sitting at 325 cases.
MISD didn't tell us why they think there's a decline.
ECISD says they think the shrinking of cases has to do with better mitigation efforts like washing hands and having more people protecting themselves with the vaccine.
But they have a feeling it also has to do with a lack of COVID tests.
"As our numbers went up, our testing was going up and as our numbers have started to come down our testing numbers were starting to come down, so it's hard to say how much it's impacting, but it does make and impact," Rhodes said.
They ran out of tests 10 days ago and are working on getting a new vendor now funneled through state health services.
They still believe students and staff are getting tested, it's just that right now the convenience of a COVID test at school doesn't exist.
As far as looking to keep this encouraging trend going, Rhodes is hopeful.
"Doing what we're doing honestly. Masking and trying to social distance, being aware if we're sick and staying home," Rhodes said.
