O'FALLON, Mo. — Hundreds of students in the Fort Zumwalt School District are quarantined after being in contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus.
According to a spokesperson for the district, 499 students are quarantined. The spokesperson also said the number changes every day and includes those who have been quarantined due to contact with the virus outside of school.
There are more than 18,000 students in the Fort Zumwalt School District, so this means about 2.7% of those students are quarantined.
According to the weekly update on the district’s website for Sept. 27 through Oct. 3, eight staff members tested positive for the virus and 18 students tested positive.
Students have had the option to be in-person since Aug. 31. There is also a virtual learning option for students.
You can click here to view the number of cases in school districts across Missouri
"I know a couple people who have had to go home to quarantine because of a sport or they were sitting around somebody who was in contact with someone who had it," one student said.
Maisy Garrison is a senior at Fort Zumwalt West High School. She said she thinks district staff and students are doing a great job and limiting the spread.
"So far, every student I've seen has worn their mask all day even when you go into a bathroom and I think that's incredible," she said.
And while St. Louis County schools are getting the green light to learn in-person, Garrison offered some advice to those students.
"The anxiety does get better when you see everyone around you, it brings a sense of normalcy and I think that's really important when everything is changing," she said.