Coral Park Elementary School is the latest to head back to online learning due to COVID infections.
On Wednesday, the school made an Instagram post saying that two individuals tested positive for the virus. However, the school district's COVID dashboard says there are three positive cases. The district's office of communication told WSLF-TV this is because positive cases reported by employees are populated onto the dashboard when first received them. Cases reported by students are not populated until Florida Department Of Health confirms them. The information on the employee is already on the dashboard, as soon as FDOH confirms the student case, that one will be populated as well.
“In an abundance of caution and after consultation with the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade, Coral Park Elementary School will pivot to online instruction today after an employee and a student reportedly tested positive for COVID-19," said Daisy Gonzalez-Diego, Chief Communications Officer for the county.
"The transition ensured that those who came in close contact with the individuals were notified and that all buildings in the school were thoroughly sanitized. As always, our actions will be guided by the health and well-being of our students and employees," she said.
The employee's movements were not limited to one area, and as soon as the school received the report Tuesday night, the district initiated an investigation to determine what areas the individuals had been in and who they may have come in contact with.
This isn't an isolated incident for Miami-Dade County Public Schools. On Monday, MAST Academy also reverted to virtual learning due to two positive COVID.
According to Miami-Dade County Public Schools' COVID Dashboard, 10 schools have had COVID cases since reopening. Those are
- Coral Park Elementary - 3 cases
- MAST Academy High School- 2 cases
- Bowman Ashe/Doolin K-8 Academy (Ashe site)- 1 case
- Charles D. Wyche Elementary- 1 case
- Flagami Elementary- 1 case
- Poinciana Park Elementary- 1 case
- Royal Green Elementary- 1 case
- William H. Lehman Elementary- 1 case
- Zora N. Hurston Elementary- 1 case
Of these cases, two have been employees and 10 have been students.
Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said in a press conference on Monday that it was almost inevitable that there would be COVID cases in schools that would require quarantining classrooms or entire schools.
"After recognizing that it was a significant number of students who had direct contact with these students, it was virtually impossible to notify just those students on Sunday," he said. "Therefore we made the decision yesterday [Sunday] to close the school down today [Monday]."
After getting news of positive case the school district checks to see if who the student may have come in contact with, including checking bus routes and if they played sports, Carvalho said.
MAST academy got a complete sanitation, but students who came in contact with the infected students are urged to stay home. The rest of the students, faculty and staff were able to return on Tuesday.
