Staff member tests positive for COVID-19 at a D-20 school

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - More than a dozen people at three Colorado Springs elementary schools were asked to quarantine on the first day of school after a handful of students and staff began showing symptoms of the COVID-19 virus. On Wednesday, a fourth school was impacted over concerns after a staff member started displaying symptoms.

The three schools impacted on Monday include, Woodmen Roberts, Ranch Creek and Frontier, are all in District 20, which started its school year Monday. A spokesperson for the school district tells 11 News four people between the three schools were showing COVID-like symptoms. On Wednesday, the district announced a staff member at Frontier Elementary was displaying symptoms associated with the virus.

One of the people showing symptoms did test positive for the virus. The district learned of the positive test Wednesday morning for a staff member at Ranch Creek Elementary School. The district adds no students have been impacted. The staff member will remain home until their 10-day isolation is complete and they are fever-free without the use of fever-reducing medication for 24 hours. Any staff member who was in close contact with the staff member was sent home on Monday and instructed to remain at home for 14 days. The areas where the staff member was present were deep cleaned and disinfected.

As of Wednesday, there was only one known positive case among the three schools. Several students and staff at the other schools are still being instructed to quarantine.

“We hate to quarentine people because they have COVID-like symptoms, because if you look at that symptom list, it could be COVID, it could be strep throat.”

But until those involved stop showing symptoms or get a negative COVID test, the district says they’d rather be safe than sorry.

The district tells 11 News they are pretty confident that they caught this early and feel like between all their other safety procedures, it is safe for everyone else to return to those schools for class.

Parents, guardians and teachers are encouraged to visit the D-20 website by clicking here for the latest updates from the district.