The number of Manteca Unified students and staff testing positive for COVID-19 continues to plummet.

For the week ending Thursday, 73 students and 9 staff members tested positive.

That’s a far cry from the 866 students and 66 staff members that tested positive for COVID-19 during a two-week period ending Feb. 4. The district has over 26,000 students and employees.

Schools throughout the start saw a surge in positive results after free home testing kits were distributed.

New cases have been dropping off sharply overall in the community. Since Wednesday 71 more people have tested positive in Manteca, 37 in Lathrop and 11 in Ripon.

The COVID-19 death toll has topped 2,000 people in San Joaquin County since the pandemic started in March 2020.

There have been no new deaths in Manteca, Ripon, or Lathrop in the past week. Deaths since the start of the pandemic are now at 195 in Manteca, 35 in Lathrop, and 32 in Ripon.

 County health officials emphasized the need to continue following the modified state mask mandate requirements that took effect Wednesday:

*Masks strongly recommended for public indoor (vaccinated).

*Masks are required for public indoor (unvaccinated), health care (vaccinated & unvaccinated), schools & childcare (vaccinated & unvaccinated), public transit (vaccinated & unvaccinated), long-term care (vaccinated & unvaccinated), as well as jobs & prisons (vaccinated & unvaccinated).

 Residents are encouraged to check www.SJReady.org to find information about mask requirements as well as or www.MyTurn.ca.gov for information about testing and vaccine locations.