Five new cases of COVID-19 reported in Pinellas schools, 10 more classrooms with quarantines

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The Pinellas County School District is reporting five schools with five new cases of COVID-19, according to the district’s daily report Wednesday.

The cases span Saturday through Wednesday.

One employee each tested positive at Ozona Elementary School and Tarpon Springs Elementary School. Quarantines were issued in one classroom at Ozona.

One student each tested positive at East Lake High School, Blanton Elementary School and Curtis Fundamental Elementary School. Quarantines were issued in seven East Lake classrooms and one classroom each at Blanton and Curtis.

High schools and middle schools typically have more classroom quarantines because students attend multiple classes throughout the school day. In comparison, elementary schools have fewer quarantines because students are often isolated to just one class.

The district shifted this week to quarantining partial classrooms in some instances, using a more “surgical” methodology that takes into account social distancing. The shift means teachers, who are often able to stay at the front of the classroom and better distanced from students, may not have to quarantine as often.

Before Tuesday, entire classrooms were quarantined if a student or staff member tested positive, but now only those students who had close contact with the affected patient are being quarantined.

As of Tuesday, the district had issued quarantines in at least 56 classrooms, one bus, and the Palm Harbor University High School varsity football team.

The district does not report how many quarantines were issued, only the number of classrooms affected. The Department of Health Pinellas County said they are exempt from providing that data, citing Florida State Statute. However, the Pasco County School District does report total quarantines.

A total of 18 students and 18 employees at schools have tested positive since schools reopened last month. Another eight employees at the Walter Pownall Service Center, which does not have students on campus, have also tested positive.

Tarpon Springs Elementary School has now reported one employee and one student who tested positive for COVID-19. Ozona Elementary School has not had two employees test positive. East Lake High, Blanton Elementary and Curtis Fundamental Elementary each reported their first cases since schools reopened.