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Louisa Schools remain open after student, staff member test positive for COVID-19

Posted at 8:03 AM, Aug 20, 2020
and last updated 2020-08-20 12:24:06-04

LOUISA COUNTY, Va. -- A staff member at Moss-Nuckolls Elementary School and a student at Trevilians Elementary School have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the superintendent for Louisa County Schools.

Louisa Schools opened for in-person learning late last week.

In a video posted to Facebook Wednesday night, Superintendent J. Douglas Straley II said the Thomas Jefferson Health District confirmed the teacher and student contracted the virus outside of the school.

Both the student and faculty member were said to have only come in close contact with a few staff and students, and the health district said everyone at risk has been notified.

Superintendent Straley said the school system planned to be transparent about COVID-19 cases. He said that based on the health district's guidelines, schools will remain open.

"While planning for the opening of schools, we certainly knew we would have situations where students and staff may come into our buildings and be asymptomatic and infected," he said in a video posted to social media. "Our focus from day one has been making sure that we have the proper mitigation techniques in place to keep these instances from spreading to others."

On Thursday, parents lined up to drop their kids off for school. Many telling CBS 6, they believe the school officials are doing everything they can.

"They are very transparent, like we found out immediately as soon as they found out. So I feel pretty good. I love the teachers, I love the school, love this county," said one parent.

Others explained they continue to remind their little one healthy and safe habits.

"We told them don't touch anything. Use sanitizer, don't take your mask off."

School officials have asked parents to be prepared, just in case the health district asked the school board to make a change to all virtual learning.

This is a developing story.