An Indiana School Had To Quarantine Students Hours After Opening. Here's What We Know.

Well, y’all. My fear has come true in Indiana, and it only took half a day.

On the FIRST day of school at a middle school in Indiana, they found out — in the middle of the day — that one of the children at the school had tested positive for the coronavirus.

According to reports, The Hancock County Health Department notified Greenfield-Central Junior High School that one of their students had tested positive for the virus.

According to a statement made to the Associated Press, the student had been tested for the virus days earlier, but the school wasn’t notified of their test result until halfway through the day.

Why was this kid even allowed to go to school if he/she had a pending test? Ugh.

Facebook / Greenfield Central Junior High School

I’m also not quite sure why the school didn’t catch it. Most schools I know of are doing temperature checks, and asking covid-related questions before anyone is allowed in the door.

The school was notified by the health department a couple hours into the day. The health department confirmed there was an active case of coronavirus in one of the students that had been walking the halls, and attending different classes with LOTS of people.

Obviously, it is too soon to tell if anyone was infected by the sick student.

Immediately, this student, as well as anyone that had come into close contact with the student, was quarantined. They will remain that way for 14 days, until the risk of the coronavirus, and it’s nasty symptoms, are over.

“We knew it was a when, not if,” said Harold E. Olin, superintendent of the Greenfield-Central Community School Corporation, but were “very shocked it was on Day 1.”
The New York Times

This is why I am so glad that our schools in this area have elected to have a remote option. My kids will be working remotely from home. While this may not be a great choice, it is the best choice for us, under the circumstances.

Many schools have opted to start, at least for the first few weeks, remotely. Those that are starting with in-person classes are having to prepare for the likelihood that they will have to quarantine or shut down do to infected students or personnel.