Parents of students at Perry County School District were notified Monday afternoon that a sports team and a classroom at Perry County School District 32 have been quarantined after several individuals tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
According to a news release issued by the district Monday, the students quarantined include the entire junior varsity football team and a classroom at Perryville Elementary School.
“It’s very important that anyone who is sick stay home from school,” said Perryville High School nurse Stefany Layton. “We practice cohorting in our lower grades and physical distancing in upper grades, to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Our goal is to keep our children and staff healthy and in school.”
Monday’s news came just before the Perry County Health Department released its Monday update on COVID-19, which included 22 new lab-confirmed cases in the county since Friday’s update, with nine on Saturday, 11 on Sunday and two on Monday, bringing the overall total to 924 cases, 46 of which are considered active.
The health department also reported 17 recoveries, bringing that number to 869. Seven people have died of COVID-related causes in Perry County since the first case was reported in late March.
Statewide, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported 171,022 cases so far, including 11,095 in the past seven days. Since March, 2,810 deaths have been reported, including 65 in the past week.
In Monday’s release from PCSD, communications director Kate Martin said the decision to quarantine the team was made after five individuals received positive test results between Oct. 21 and Monday morning.
The elementary classroom was placed on quarantine status after an individual tested positive. Two other individuals are awaiting test results.
Health department officials conducted the contact investigations with the assistance of district personnel and all affected individuals have been notified.
According to Martin, in the case of the football team, affected individuals may return to class on Nov. 6 unless they develop symptoms or test positive for the virus. As for the elementary class, those individuals have differing dates to return to class, depending on their last exposure to a positive individual.
To date, 58 individuals who work or attend classes at PCSD have been identified as positive for COVID-19 and 233 close contacts have been reported. Of those, eight are isolated as positive cases and 81 are quarantined as close contacts. Several more are awaiting test results.
“I encourage parents to continue to stress the importance of physical distancing, masking and frequent hand-washing with their children,” Layton said. “It will help us stay healthier as a school family during the cold and flu season, as well as combat the spread of the novel coronavirus.”
