MANATEE COUNTY (WSNN) – Manatee Schools report COVID-19 exposures in nine schools during the first week of classes, according to the Herald-Tribune.
Earlier this week, the School District of Manatee County reported positive COVID-19 cases at three schools. On Friday that that number changed to nine.
The district is not sharing how many people were exposed and are required to quarantine.
If someone is COVID-19 positive, anyone who has been within 6 feet of them for 15 minutes or more is considered to have had “direct exposure,” regardless of whether they were wearing a mask.
The following schools reported this positive diagnosis:
Moody Elementary, Sugg Middle, Willis Elementary, Bayshore Elementary, Tara Elementary, Manatee Technical College, Ballard Elementary, Parrish Community High, and Rowlett Academy
An anonymous teacher from a Manatee County high school agreed to talk to SNN if we disguised their voice to share their thoughts on the matter. We call them Billie.
“This could have been online,” Billie said. “And I still have a great fear that everybody’s going to be online because of the casual nature of if a kid has symptoms, you have to wait for a kid to get tested. It’s like ‘Hello, why didn’t they just go to quarantine when that kid had symptoms until he gets his tests back.’ It’s just very careless.
This, of course, is one angle of the story. Next week, we’ll get with Manatee County Schools to get their perspective.