FESTUS, Mo. — The Festus R-VI School District was notified by the Jefferson County Health Department a student who is enrolled at Festus High School tested positive for COVID-19.
While school at Festus High School has not yet started, the student was participating in a fall sport practice, according to a letter from the Festus R-VI School District superintendent.
The letter said to not violate privacy statues, the district cannot release more specific information other than what's below.
The student was last on campus the morning of Aug. 10. The letter said individuals who were within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes, which are guidelines administered by the Jefferson County Health Department, in alignment with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are being contacted directly by the R-VI District and will not be returning for the quarantine period.
Unless you hear from the district or the Jefferson County Health Department, there is no need to isolate or quarantine, the superintendent said in the letter.
The district wants to remind parents to self-screen children each day regarding their health prior to determine whether or not they depart for school.
Superintendent Link W. Luttrell said the district has protocols and procedures in place aimed at providing a safe and healthy environment for its students and staff.
“Yet, even with enhanced measures, there are risks to participating in group activities, such as school and athletics,” Luttrell added.
“I wish I could, but I’m not able to guarantee that students or faculty members will not be exposed to the virus or to those who may have been affected. Yet, I can provide assurance that steps to minimize the risk will continue to be implemented daily in our on-going effort to prioritize safety and health of our students and staff,” part of the letter said to families and staff.
Luttrell also noted it is “not really realistic” to believe that this will be the one and only incident that is COVID-19 related the district may encounter in the days, weeks and months ahead.
According to its website, the Festus R-VI School District is set to begin on Aug. 24.