CPS CEO Pedro Martinez tests positive for COVID-19 and is isolating

Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez has tested positive for COVID-19, he announced Thursday evening.

The district released a statement saying Martinez, who is fully vaccinated and boosted, started to experience mild, cold-like symptoms Wednesday and tested positive Thursday. He will work from home during an isolation period as prescribed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“This is a good opportunity to remind our CPS staff and families to please get vaccinated and boosted,” Martinez said. “Because of the vaccine, I expect that I will be fine.”

The CEO’s diagnosis comes amid yet another surge in COVID-19 cases and as the district and the city continue to strongly encouraged indoor masking but have stopped short of reinstituting mask requirements. Chicago returned to “medium” transmission risk last week, and CPS on Monday reported 377 new student and 123 adult coronavirus cases — levels not seen since the post-winter break January spike. On Tuesday there were 104 new adult and 352 student cases reported.

Quarantine numbers are also on the rise again in CPS, with about 350 adults and 2,500 students in quarantine as of Wednesday, according to the district data.