Name: Novel coronavirus claims Judson middle school worker, state records show
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Novel coronavirus claims Judson middle school worker, state records show

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A female Kitty Hawk Middle School staff member died from COVID-19-related illness earlier this month, according to reports filed with the Texas Education Agency.A COVID-19 report submitted to TEA on Sept. 10 noted that the Judson Independent School District’s Kitty Hawk Middle School “had three (COVID-19) cases; the original person has passed away.”A subsequent Sept. 11 filing noted two cases.“The first case reported was a paraprofessional that died. She was monitoring teachers’ kids on campus,” it stated. “The second was a teacher and her two children. Other teachers are in self-isolation at home.”The report did not say whether the two cases were related.More for youDetails released by Judson ISD are sketchy. Judson Superintendent Jeanette Ball said the district would protect the paraprofessional’s privacy in not releasing her name.“I will not disclose any identifying information until I seek legal counsel,” Ball said. “I will not violate a family’s privacy during such an emotional time.”While the Sept. 11 COVID-19 report — attributed as being released by “a principal or supervisor” — stated the person in the first case had died, Ball said the woman’s death was not due to COVID-19.“The family has asked me to respect their privacy so I will not share anything that they have shared with me,” the superintendent said, “except to say they shared with me she did not die of COVID-19.”Additionally, Ball said the woman “was only helping out at Kitty Hawk.”However, Kitty Hawk employees received notification of the suspected illness.“In keeping with JISD practices to respond to COVID-19, we are notifying all Kitty Hawk staff members that a staff member who was lab-confirmed to have COVID-19 was present on campus on Wednesday, Aug. 26,” the undated notification stated.The release said the health department “has begun an investigation and will be on campus … to contact any individuals determined to be in close contact with the infected individual.”It continued: “Those that were in close contact will remain off campus for up to 10 days to ensure they do not have the virus so that there will not be any further spread.“We will keep you apprised of further updates,” it added.Aug. 24 was the first day of virtual-only education at JISD.The school district did not state whether any Kitty Hawk students or other staff may be COVID-19 stricken or asymptomatic. There was also no information shared on any contact tracing efforts, other than a reference to the district’s COVID-19 policy manual.That manual states that a staff member must immediately notify his or her supervisor and the district’s employee services department and provide any test results and medical documentation.Once a district knows of a test-confirmed COVID case, TEA requires schools to close off areas that are heavily used by the affected individual until the area(s) can be disinfected.It also requires district to “notify all teachers, staff, and families of all students in a school if a test-confirmed COVID-19 case is identified” among staff or students who have been on campus. The district complied in sending out the notice which told of the infected individual’s presence on the Kitty Hawk campus on Aug. 26.Ball said the district takes the health of its students and staff seriously, and will continue to adhere to its strict COVID-19 policy guide for the rest of the school year.“I want (parents) to know that we take the health and safety (of the students and staff) very seriously,” Ball said. “We care deeply about all our Judson ISD family members so we will continue to do everything possible to make sure they are taken care of.”jflinn@express-news.net

A female Kitty Hawk Middle School staff member died from COVID-19-related illness earlier this month, according to reports filed with the Texas Education Agency.A COVID-19 report submitted to TEA on Sept. 10 noted that the Judson Independent School District’s Kitty Hawk Middle School “had three (COVID-19) cases; the original person has passed away.”A subsequent Sept. 11 filing noted two cases.“The first case reported was a paraprofessional that died. She was monitoring teachers’ kids on campus,” it stated. “The second was a teacher and her two children. Other teachers are in self-isolation...

Novel coronavirus claims Judson middle school worker, state records show

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