4 COVID-19 cases in Harris County School District reported during first week of reopening
Four people in the Harris County School District have tested positive for the coronavirus during the first week of the fall 2020 semester.
One COVID-19 case out of the district’s 5,528 students and three COVID-19 cases out of the district’s 763 employees have been reported, HCSD spokeswoman Rachel Crumbley told the Ledger-Enquirer in an email Monday afternoon.
Those cases have prompted eight students and seven employees who had close contact with the infected people to quarantine at home for 14 days, Crumbley said.
“They were contacted through our Infinite Campus messenger system using the features of calls, texts and email,” she said. “We are conducting contract tracing based on guidelines of the DPH (Department of Public Health) and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). All information is kept confidential.”
Monday morning, Crumbley confirmed to the L-E that Harris County High School sent an electronic message to parents Sunday about a COVID-19 case at the school. The message didn’t disclose whether the infected person is a student or employee, but Crumbley confirmed Monday afternoon that the infected person at the high school is a student. She cited employee privacy when declining to disclose where the infected staff members work.
HCSD has given families the option of in-person or online classes. Here’s the breakdown of their choices:
- 73% in person.
- 26% online
- Less than 1% withdrew.
Asked how this news has affected the operation of in-person instruction, Crumbley said, “Beyond the efforts to properly communicate and address concerns, we continue to implement our stringent procedures of masks, hand hygiene, cleaning and social distancing when possible.”
The West Central Health District of the Georgia Department of Public Health is conducting contact tracing for HCSD, health district spokeswoman Pamela Kirkland confirmed to the L-E in an email.
“The school provides us the names of any contacts, those who have spent at least 15 minutes in close proximity of that person, with or without a mask,” she said. “Then those people are contacted and given guidelines as to their quarantine and when to test.”
Contact tracing is voluntary, Kirkland said.
“We make every effort to reach all contacts,” she said, “and all are advised to be tested, depending on whether or not they have symptoms, and subsequently to quarantine or isolate.”
Friday, a news release from the office of Gov. Brian Kemp reported DPH statistics that show 14 coronavirus outbreaks at in schools or among school athletics teams in Georgia the week of Aug. 6-12.
“An outbreak is defined as more than the expected number of cases, so basically it is two or more cases in one place within a 14-day period,” DPH spokeswoman Nancy Nydam told the L-E in an email.
DPH won’t identify the schools on that list, Nydam said, citing federal privacy law.
“Some school districts have chosen to release general information about positive cases and others have not,” she said, “but that is a school district decision and not a public health decision.”
Here is the message Harris County High School sent to parents Sunday:
“This is a standard notification from Harris County High School to inform you that someone at Harris County High School has tested positive for/contracted the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.
“We cannot identify the individual who tested positive for the virus because of privacy laws. However, the names of those that were in close contact (within 6 feet for 15 minutes or longer) have been identified. These individuals will be notified and required to quarantine at home for 14 days. If you develop flu or other symptoms including dry cough and fever, do not come to school or work. Consider contacting your medical provider. The well-being of our school community is paramount. Out of an abundance of caution, continue daily temperature checks, frequent hand washing, social distancing, and the use of face coverings is recommended when social distancing is not possible.
“For more information check the websites of the Centers for Disease Control, Georgia Department of Health or local health department.”
This story was originally published August 17, 2020 at 10:26 AM.
