Officials share update on COVID in schools as Rose Hill sends students home

JACKSON, Tenn. — A Jackson-Madison County School has sent their students home for the next two weeks — the main discussion in the health department’s weekly press conference Wednesday.

“Now that we’ve transitioned at Rose Hill for the middle grades for virtual or distance learning for two weeks, they’re going into a space they’re already familiar with, and the teachers are already familiar with,” said Greg Hammond, public information officer for JMCSS.

Hammond says 10 students tested positive, with 24 students being advised to quarantine.

System wide, a total of 263 students and staff are either isolating or quarantining.

“Rose Hill was the first significant incident to speak of,” Hammond said. “Think of, we’ve been at this nine weeks, and this is the first time there was a number high enough to kind of warrant some eyebrows to be raised.”

Hammond says if someone in your household tests positive, you need to tell your student’s teacher, who will tell the principal, then the school health coordinator. They’re in contact with the health department.

“The health department does a great job in keeping us posted on positive cases,” Hammond said. “But realize, you can never have too much communication in a situation like this.”

They also remind families to not send students to school if they’ve been sick, and if they have been tested, wait for the results to come in.

Kim Tedford, regional director of the Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department, also wants to remind everyone to get their flu shot.

She says to pay attention to your symptoms as the flu sometimes comes on more suddenly than coronavirus.

And if you come in contact with a COVID-positive person, you must quarantine for 14 days after that contact.