Eight students and four staff members at The Juniper School began a quarantine Tuesday after an individual at the school tested positive for COVID-19.
The exposure affected only one cohort at the school, and the group of students in the cohort will move to remote learning during the 14-day quarantine, said Julie Popp, spokeswoman for Durango School District 9-R. The quarantines will end Nov. 13, which is based on the date of the group’s last exposure to the individual who tested positive.
A cohort is a group of students who stay together during the school day. The use of cohorts has been adopted by 9-R schools and in schools across the state to minimize personal contacts by students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Tuesday, 9-R was notified by San Juan Basin Public Health about the exposure.
The Juniper School remains open for in-person and blended learning for unaffected cohorts.
No other 9-R schools or cohorts are affected by this case.
The school district is following its response procedures created in its “Return to Learn” plan, which deals with policies put in place for the current school year to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The district also works with SJBPH on contact tracing after a confirmed exposure.
The district recommends students and staff practice the “3W’s” to minimize rise of exposure to COVID-19:
Wear a mask.Wash your hands.Watch your distance.Families also should monitor the health of all members, and anyone who is ill should stay home, Popp said.
SJBPH has been working school districts and schools in La Plata and Archuleta counties since the beginning of the pandemic.
The partnership between school districts and SJBPH includes reviewing school districts’ plans to reopen and their communication plans to contact families, school staff members and the public in the event of exposures or potential exposures.
SJBPH conducts contact tracing for every positive case identified in K-12 schools in La Plata and Archuleta counties, with schools assisting in contact tracing efforts by providing student and staff rosters.
Additionally, some schools and school districts, including Durango 9-R, help by issuing letters and surveys to identify additional symptomatic staff members and students and by referring students to available COVID-19 testing opportunities.
Because of a recent rise in cases beginning in late October, in part stemming from social gatherings, SJBPH urges all community members to stay at home as much as possible. The health department also asks residents to continue to maintain social distance, wear face masks and practice good hygiene.
“Avoiding challenging peaks in infections and hospital demand over the next three months will require a substantial increase in transmission control. The window to improve transmission control is over the next several weeks,” said Claire Ninde, SJBPH director of communications, in an email. “We are at a critical moment and we need everyone to do their part.”
Ninde said Coloradans can sign up for exposure notifications on their phone.
She also said in an email people should be tested if they have symptoms or believe they have been exposed to the pathogen.
She also noted a state order is in place asking state residents to limit social gatherings to no more than 10 people from no more than two households.
parmijo@durangoherald.com
