Groups of staff at 2 Modesto schools, 2 district facilities put on COVID quarantine
Since Modesto City Schools started its academic year Aug. 10, groups of staff at four facilities have been quarantined because of exposure to COVID-19, the district reported Tuesday.
In none of the cases does the district know of an employee returning to work after learning he or she tested positive for the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, officials said. And in no cases was there known exposure to students or their families.
The first 14-day quarantine was initiated Aug. 19 and affected staff in Early Childhood Education, district spokeswoman Krista Noonan said in an emailed response to questions from The Bee.
One ECE office employee tested positive after leaving work, Noonan said, and the small group of other employees who had interacted with the person was “quarantined to ensure the exposure was controlled,” she said. The district consulted with county public health officials for guidance. No students or parents were exposed.
The second 14-day quarantine began Aug. 24 for staff at Garrison Elementary. The group included teachers and some administrative and office workers, Noonan said. The district again consulted with county health “to ensure the proper protocols were followed,” she said.
“There was an additional, smaller, more limited exposure with staff working in one of the specialized programs at Garrison,” Noonan added. It appears not to be connected to the other Garrison group but occurred around the same time, she said.
“These staff are located in a different building and work in cubicles that are protected by Plexiglass barriers. One person was diagnosed COVID positive, and again after consulting with county public health, the other small group of staff were quarantined.”
MCS Transportation Department impacted
The next quarantine was of a group of Transportation Department staff and began Aug. 26. In this case as well, an employee “tested COVID positive after they left work,” Noonan said, and co-workers who were in contact with the person were quarantined “out of an abundance of caution.”
And a small group of Sonoma Elementary staff began a 14-day quarantine on Friday after one employee tested positive.
On protocols that have been in place, Noonan said employees self-report using a yes/no form to indicate if they are feeling symptomatic or have had known exposure to COVID. The forms were filled out when staff returned to school and district sites, she said, and are updated any time there is a change in an employee’s health status.
“We are not regularly taking staff temperatures, as we expect staff to be doing this at home if they are not feeling well,” she said. “We have thermometers available at school sites should staff request their temp be taken. We encourage any staff who may be exhibiting fever over 100.4 or coughing symptoms to stay home when sick.”
A number of other health and safety protocols are in place that staff and campus visitors are expected to follow. They include wearing masks, physical distancing, the installation of barriers and deep cleaning and sanitizing.
“If an individual is not wearing a mask, we are taking appropriate action to ensure they are aware of the protocols and providing any necessary equipment to help them meet the requirements,” Noonan said. “We also look to other staff to hold each other accountable with reminders to wear a mask and keep their distance.”
‘After action reviews’ to be conducted
The district will conduct “after action reviews” at facilities where there are COVID-19 quarantines to ensure all the health and safety protocols are being met and enforced, she said.
Not all teachers and other district and school employees are working at MCS facilities. Some are working from home, including those with underlying health conditions that put them at high risk for COVID-19, or who have school-age children studying from home. But even when physically on campus, teachers are not meeting in person, Noonan stressed.
They continue to use virtual meeting platforms to participate in staff meetings and collaboration time. Also, most parent meetings are conducted virtually, she said. “If these meetings are conducted in person for some of our special education students or students on IEPs (individualized education programs), the teacher will meet one-on-one with a student outside rather than inside the classroom, while adhering to social distancing protocols and wearing of masks. The parents remain at the school office in order to uphold safety protocols.”
Regarding employees in quarantine, Noonan said those who are able to do their jobs remotely are doing so. When work cannot be performed remotely, “subs are utilized as needed,” she said.
Citing protected health information, the district said it cannot report if any of the employees who tested positive have become ill.
This story was originally published September 1, 2020 at 2:40 PM.
