Nearly 9 percent of students at a Delaware County school district have been quarantined after a single case of COVID-19 has been confirmed.
About 2,600 students attend Delaware Community Schools, which began in-person classes last Thursday. Officials say a football player at Delta High School is the district’s only official positive COVID case.
On Friday night, district Superintendent Reese Mann tweeted: “DelCom has experienced our first positive case of Covid-19 at Delta High School. Appropriate contacts have been made and we are following our guidelines. Health department continues to play a pivotal role in our decision making. See you on Monday, DAY 3. Eagle Pride!”
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But now, it has sent more than 200 students home to quarantine – those in close contact with the student, those in the testing process, or those showing COVID symptoms. Most of those students attend the high school and middle school. The list includes the entire football team.
Mann says the district is using seating charts and cameras to monitor students, but says tracking the movements of the football team was problematic.
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As of Wednesday, the district announced it would close the middle school and high school through August 24, because of the number of quarantining students. Those students would learn virtually from home. As Mann tweeted, he expects “a hopeful return” to the buildings on August 25. The district’s two elementary schools would continue in-person classes.
In addition to quarantining students, the school is also cancelling its first scheduled football game against Muncie Central High School, because the Delta team won’t make the required number of practices for eligibility.
This story has been updated.
