Schools silent on COVID cases
A Neshoba County man says his grandson was sent home from Neshoba Central Elementary this week because a classmate was diagnosed with COVID-19.
Neshoba County Schools began classes last Wednesday under tight COVID-19 guidelines that include grab-and-go lunches from the cafeteria, but officials won’t say if any students have been sent home with the virus.
While Neshoba County’s COVID-19 infection rate climbs again, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas E. Dobbs III on Tuesday said of precautions like masking and social distancing that the virus is “not going anywhere soon” urging state residents to “stick with it for a while.” (See story, page 3A.)
Gov. Tate Reeves said Tuesday the state’s success is going to depend on the ability to drive the numbers down by being vigilant, “being smart” and not gathering in large groups, wearing masks and social distancing.
Neshoba County resident Louis Coker told the Democrat on Monday that his step-daughter was called to pick up her son from Neshoba Central Elementary School this week because another child tested positive for COVID-19.
“A child in his classroom was diagnosed with the COVID-19,” Coker said. “At the time, they dismissed the children sitting around her. I don’t know if they dismissed the entire class, they wouldn’t say.”
Neshoba County Schools Superintendent of Education Dr. Lundy Brantley released the following statement:
“The NCSD abides by the CDC recommendations in dealing with COVID cases. Our nurses conduct contact tracing. The parents/guardians of the students will be notified if their child has been exposed to COVID. The students and staff are doing a tremendous job following the CDC Guidelines.”
When pressed for more details, Brantley referred all questions to the statement.
Administrators, principals, and teachers spent the summer developing policies and procedures for a Return to School plan to keep the classrooms clear of COVID-19.
The state Department of Health said Tuesday they had no reports of the coronavirus in Neshoba County schools.
State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs on Tuesday announced the counties in which positive cases have been found in schools and Neshoba was not included.
Coker questioned why it was not known the child had been tested for the COVID-19 before coming to school.
“If the child was exposed, why was she allowed to enter into the school?” Coker said. “Did the parents not say she had been exposed and has taken the test? I don’t think the school knew it, but if they did, they should have kept her out.”
Coker said his grandchild lives about a mile from his home off of Highway 21 north near Spring Creek. He and his wife go in the morning to see him off to school so his mother can go to work. They usually are there when he comes home.
“This has started a chain reaction,” Coker said. “His mother has been exposed because she had to pick him up.”
His step-grandson is going to be in quarantine for 14 days, which is going to be hard to do, he said. “There are two sisters at home,” Coker said. “There is the mother and the father, my wife and me, my brother-in-law and other cousins. This affects other families, too.”
Coker said he could not get any information when he called the school because he was not on the list to pick up.
“What do we do?” Coker said. “Are they reporting it out to the public that we have COVID-19 in the school?”
Coker said he doesn’t think they have. “I am not trying to make anything big of this, but I thought people should know,” he said.
Dobbs said Tuesday they currently have reports of positive coronavirus cases in 27 schools across the state, with the bulk of those occurring in the Corinth School District. There were 25 cases among students and 17 cases among employees that health officials were aware of, with hundreds being sent home for 14-day quarantine.