A parent in a northern Nevada school district knowingly sent their child to school following a positive COVID-19 test, thus exposing dozens of students.
The Reno-servicing Washoe County School District said in a statement earlier this week, per regional outlet KRNV-DT, that the parent had also tested positive for COVID-19. Furthermore, the parent—who, like the student, has not been publicly identified—“refused to communicate” with officials at Marce Herz Middle School.
Local Reno reporter Brett Forrest later confirmed that the student in question had been notified of the positive test result two days prior to showing up at school, ultimately exposing as many as 80 people.
“We are asking everyone, especially parents with children in Washoe County schools, to please cooperate with diseases investigators regarding positive COVID-19 cases,” a Washoe County Health District rep said. “It’s imperative that we collect information from positive cases in order to reduce transmission in the community. We had a situation during the investigation where a parent refused to communicate with our staff. This led to a presumably-infectious child attending school two days after being notified of a positive COVID-19 test result. The parent, who also tested positive for COVID-19, also refused to communicate with the school.”
An unknown number of students were reportedly sent home to quarantine following the exposure. All Washoe County school staff and students in kindergarten through 12th grade are currently required to wear masks while inside, regardless of vaccination status.
Complex has reached out to reps for the Washoe County Health District and Marce Herz Middle School for additional comment.
Washoe County’s most recent COVID-19 stats show that a little more than 58 percent of residents 12 years of age and older have been fully vaccinated. The region’s positivity rate, at least as of Aug. 11, was 17 percent.
