San Juan Unified reports first death of a district employee from COVID-19

A San Juan Unified District employee has died from COVID-19, according to school district officials.

The employee, who was not named and whose position in the district was not identified, died over the winter break. It is the first known COVID-19 death in the San Juan Unified School District, which is currently instructing students through distance learning.

The district announced in December that it would hold off on its Jan. 5 reopening plans as COVID-19 cases surged across the Sacramento region. District officials told The Sacramento Bee at the time that they would transition to in-person learning after the county has been in the red tier for two weeks.

Currently, 22 students and 21 staff members have been diagnosed as positive for the coronavirus.

At least three deaths due to COVID-19 have been reported in Sacramento City Unified, including a substitute teacher who died in March 2020.

Sacramento City Unified campuses also remain closed.