A new report suggested that over 5,000 students, as well as hundreds of employees in a single Florida school district, have all tested positive to COVID-19 based on a test that was carried out recently.
The school hit by the coronavirus is Hillsborough County Public Schools whose officials made it known that about 5,599 students as well as 316 staff members are currently in isolation or quarantined over the massive hit.
“Isolation refers to individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 while quarantine refers to those who have had close contact with a positive case,” the statement said.
Due to this, an emergency board meeting was called for Wednesday at 1 PM where discussions about the use of mandatory face coverings for every single student as well as staff will be among topics that will be discussed.
The district, which includes Tampa, serves over 200,000 students in more than 200 elementary, middle, and high schools, according to its website. It is the seventh-largest in the country.
“We must continue safety practices communitywide as we work to combat this virus,” Superintendent Addison Davis said Saturday.
While students are beginning to return back to the classrooms, there has been shocking news about the death of two teachers and a teacher’s assistant due to COVID-19 at Broward County.
The state of Florida however broke its daily confirmed COVID-19 cases this month and the current situation will cause the re-enforcement of the face mask even though Superintendent Addison Davis said that parents are allowed to opt-out of the mandatory face mask usage.
“We’re going to make sure we still follow every statutory requirement, all the legal ramifications,” Davis said. “But at the same time show that sensitivity with Covid in our community and put mitigation strategies in order to be successful.”
The announcement of the emergency meeting did not mention whether opting out of the proposed mask mandate would be considered Wednesday.