School districts outline protocols for COVID-19

There have only been two days of school and already schools have students who have COVID-19.

Some of you asked us what happens if your child comes into contact with someone who tests positive?

It varies by district. The school districts of Lee and Charlotte counties said there’s only so much they can do; it’s mainly up to the Florida Department of Health (FDOH).

“We have been working all summer trying to prepare, reviewing all of our protocols and procedures, making sure they are up-to-date with the latest recommendations, said Beth Wipf, MSN, RN, health services coordinator for the School District of Lee County.

Last week, she said COVID changes have been challenging.

“As we try to explore this new disease, the hardest thing has been just having to shift so often when changes occur.”

What happens if a student gets sick? The District is following the same rules as last year. They’ll send an email to alert parents and let the FDOH handle the rest.

The emails the District sends out don’t disclose how many students have COVID or where they got it. That’s up to the FDOH, which means the District can’t send students home to quarantine, but the FDOH can.

“We have the best interest of your child in your mind. We do want them to be at the school, that’s our ultimate goal so we’re doing everything we can to prepare for that,” Wipf said.

In Charlotte County, the school will give you a call, then the case will be reported to the District’s COVID dashboard. Again, they’ll leave it up to the FDOH to do the contact tracing.

COVID-19 PROTOCOLS IN SCHOOLS
Lee County
Charlotte County | Case information
Collier County | Case information
Hendry County | Case information
Glades County | Case information
DeSoto County