Almost 6,000 students and hundreds of school employees tested positive for COVID-19 or have been exposed to the virus in one Florida school district, school officials announced.
As of Monday morning, 5,599 students and 316 staffers were either in isolation or quarantine, according to a statement from the Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS).
“Isolation refers to individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 while quarantine refers to those who have had close contact with a positive case,” the statement said.
The alarming numbers have prompted the school board to hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday at 1 p.m. where they will address “the best way to mitigate against the spread of the virus, up to and including mandatory face coverings for all students and staff,” according to the announcement.
The district includes the city of Tampa and has more than 200,000 students in more than 200 schools, according to the HCPS website.
This COVID-19 Community Update was sent to all parents and staff to communicate important information about safety guidelines and our district’s ongoing mitigation efforts. We must continue safety practices community wide as we work to combat this virus.https://t.co/qxEfj0TfhI
— Addison Davis (@AddisonGDavis) August 14, 2021
“We must continue safety practices community wide as we work to combat this virus,” Addison Davis, HCPS superintendent, said in a tweet Saturday.
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