JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. — A staff member at Northwest High School has tested positive for the coronavirus, the school district's superintendent announced in a letter to families and staff Monday.
The employee was last on campus on Aug. 28. Close contacts and anyone who was within 6 feet of the person for more than 15 minutes have been contacted, according to the letter. They will not be returning to campus until the end of the quarantine period.
All areas of the building the individual was in have been cleaned and disinfected.
Citing privacy laws, the school district did not release information about the individual.
"While we make every effort to provide a safe and healthy environment for our students and staff, there are risks to participating in group activities, such as school and athletics," Northwest School District Superintendent Desi Kirchhofer wrote in the letter. "Therefore, we cannot guarantee that students or faculty members will not be exposed to the virus or those who may have been affected; but, we will continue to prioritize the safety of everyone and make every effort to minimize risks.
"We have worked to take precautions, including social distancing, masks when social distancing is not possible, and rigorous and thorough cleaning of our buildings to lower the risk for COVID-19 as much as possible and to allow our students to attend school in-person safely, and will continue to do so."
Students at Northwest High School may take classes online or may attend in-person on hybrid schedule.