September 28, 2020
Dear Families,
This letter is to notify you that a staff member at Potosi Schools has tested positive for COVID-19. While this staff member does not typically have direct contact with students, we are actively working with the Grant County Health Department so they can quickly identify, notify, and quarantine anyone who may have come into close contact with them and who may be at risk of getting sick. We are also cleaning and disinfecting the school to control the spread of illness.
About COVID-19
COVID-19 is an illness caused by a new coronavirus. It spreads from person to person through droplets created when we cough, sneeze, talk, sing or laugh. Most people—especially young people—who get COVID19 have mild illness, similar to having a cold or the flu. However, in others it can cause severe illness, such as pneumonia. Symptoms of COVID-19 include:
• Fever (temperature 100.4°F or higher)
• Cough
• Trouble breathing
• Chills
• Muscle/body aches
• Loss of sense of taste or smell
• Runny nose or nasal congestion
• Fatigue
• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
The CDC’s website has good information about COVID-19: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.
What to Expect
If your child had close contact with a person with COVID-19, you will be notified by the Grant County Health Department with special instructions about monitoring symptoms, testing, and how to keep others in your home from getting sick. Please assist with them as they work to investigate and control COVID-19 in our school.
If your child did not have close contact with a person with COVID-19 in our school, you will not receive another letter. As always, we ask that families continue to follow Department of Health guidance to limit any spread of the virus. This guidance includes washing hands frequently, keeping 6 feet away from others, wearing a mask or cloth face covering in public, watching for symptoms of COVID-19, and seeking medical care when sick.
Prevent Further Spread
The following guidelines will help to prevent further spread of illness at our school:
• Notify the school if your child is diagnosed with COVID-19.
• Notify the school if your child had contact with someone who you know was diagnosed with COVID-19.
• Keep students home from school if they are sick.
• Encourage good habits: frequent handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes, use of face coverings in. public, and staying home as much as possible.
If you have any questions, please reach out to us at Potosi Schools.
Sincerely,
Kurt Cohen
District Administrator
Potosi Schools