LA GRANDE — The La Grande School District’s COVID-19 infection rate is continuing to spike.

The school district’s latest weekly statistics show that 153 students and 25 staff members missed school during the week of Jan. 18-21 because of positive COVID-19 tests, COVID-19 symptoms or close contact with those who have COVID-19.

The new figures are an increase of 43 students from the week of Jan. 10-14.

The school district’s Jan. 18-21 statistics indicate that 12 staff members — four from Central Elementary School, three from Island City Elementary, two each from Greenwood Elementary School and La Grande High School, and one from the school district office — were absent during the week due to positive COVID-19 tests.

This is up from the previous week when nine staff members were out due to positive tests.

The number of students testing positive leaped from 16 the week of Jan. 10-14 to 58 the week of Jan. 18-21.

Twenty-two of the students were from Central, 11 were from La Grande Middle School, 10 were at Island City, eight were from La Grande High School and seven were from Greenwood.

A total of 80 students during the week of Jan. 18-21 missed school because of close contact with someone who was COVID-19 positive.

Thirty-three of these students were at Central, 21 were at Island City Elementary, 13 were at La Grande Middle School, seven were at Greenwood, five were at La Grande High School and one was in the Rising Stars program.

Ten staff, five at Greenwood, three at La Grande Middle School and one each at La Grande High School and the school district office were out because of close contact to a positive case.

A total of 15 students and three staff members missed school because of COVID-19 symptoms.

The La Grande School District’s statistics for Jan. 18-21 also indicated that two staff members and 64 students had close contracts but were able to stay in school under the state’s test to stay program, because they tested negative for COVID-19 or because they were fully vaccinated.