Sweetwater High School student tests positive for COVID-19

SWEETWATER, Texas — A Sweetwater High School tested positive for COVID-19.

According to the district, the student has not been on campus since Monday, which was the first day of school.

Sweetwater ISD and Sweetwater High School will be following the Standard Response Protocol outlined below and in the Return to School 2020-2021 Plan.

Standard Response Protocols

Efficient, ongoing communication and consultation with parents and the school community is critical to maintaining the trusting relationships that are vital to a healthy, productive learning environment. As a District, it is our duty to reassure parents of the safety in our schools and to coordinate among various stakeholders.

Parents/guardians are required to perform a health screening prior to allowing their child to enter the school building or board the bus. If the child has been diagnosed with a contagious disease, shows symptoms of: feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit; loss of taste or smell; cough; difficulty breathing; shortness of breath; headache; chills; sore throat; shaking or exaggerated shivering; significant muscle pain or ache; diarrhea or is lab-confirmed with COVID-19, Parents instead should opt to receive asynchronous online instruction until all three of the conditions for re-entry are met:

1. At least ten days have passed since symptoms first appeared;
2. At least 24 hours have passed with no fever above 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit without the use of fever-reducing medications; and
3. There is improvement in symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath).

If a student has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and wants to return to school before completing the above stay at home period, the individual must either:

a) obtain a medical professional’s note clearing the individual for return based on an alternative diagnosis or

b) obtain an acute infection test at an approved testing location (https://tdem.texas.gov/covid-19/) that comes back negative for COVID-19.

Based upon recommendations from our local health department, students will be required to receive remote instruction if they have had close contact in the past 14 days with an individual who is lab confirmed with COVID-19 or was in close contact with an individual up to two days prior to the individual receiving a positive lab-confirmed COVID-19 test. Close contact is defined as:

• being directly exposed to infectious secretions (i.e. being coughed on) while not wearing a personal protective face covering; or
  
  
• being within 6 feet for a cumulative duration of 15 minutes, while not wearing a personal protective face covering.

In the event a student becomes ill at school the following protocol will be followed:

1. The student is quarantined in the nurse’s office and is not allowed to come in close contact with others;
2. Parent/guardian is contacted, and the student is released to the parent/guardian to return home; and
3. Additional sanitation of the areas used by the student and continuation of standard sanitation protocols.

If a student tests positive for COVID-19 the following protocol will be followed:

1. SISD staff will make contact with students, families, and staff to share possible exposure information and complete contact tracing to determine any individuals that may be in close contact.
2. The areas used by the student will be closed until expanded disinfecting and cleaning protocols are performed in order to fully sanitize the area. Face-to-face instruction may continue in other areas.
3. After close contact tracing is complete, everyone who has been identified to be in close contact with an impacted individual will be alerted to ensure overall safety and wellbeing. Through this process, it will be determined whether it is necessary for specific team members and students to be out of the school or work environment.
4. Sweetwater ISD must notify its local health department, in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations, including confidentiality requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

All areas used by the student have been fully sanitized and reopened. At the conclusion of close contact tracing, in collaboration with our local health agency, those determined to have been in close contact will be notified individually. Please continue to follow all screening and standard response protocols.