LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Las Vegas coming back to life has stolen most of the headlines in recent weeks, but that doesn’t mean COVID-19 is a distant memory. In fact, positive cases continue to be detected in a number of Clark County School District schools.
As CCSD plans for another school year, positive COVID-19 cases continue to be detected on its campuses.
There were email screenshots from a parent showing cases being found at Becker Middle School over the last week. The CCSD dashboard however only listing fewer than 10 cases for the entire year.
More than 670 students were quarantined at Desert Pines High School after a positive case was detected earlier this month. The high school has documented 12 positive cases so far this year.
In total, CCSD says it has had 3,050 cases since March 2020, with 73 cases this month.
Vicki Kreidel, a second-grade teacher from Heard Elementary School, hasn’t seen any cases lately at her school and still feels safe on campus right now. She doesn’t believe school shutdowns will happen all of a sudden.
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“We’re in a much better situation with the vaccinations and knowing the protocols and what we’re doing with distance learning. But hopefully, we won’t have to go back. That’s my hope,” she said.
She feels teachers will be ready for any scenario or possible transition if CCSD decides to make any changes.
“We know so much more now than we did last March, and I think everybody would agree that if that were to happen, we’ll want to keep the school closed for a short amount of time as possible,” Kreidel said.
She says contact tracing will be done if there is a case.
“They’re looking at seating charts and they go over movement in a building, and they are only going to notify people they believe was around the infected person,” Kreidel said.
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Anyone exposed needs to quarantine for 10 days at most if they show no symptoms. Less if they test negative. CCSD says any decision about school closures would be determined by school and district administrators along with the advice of the Southern Nevada Health District. Kreidel says teachers who have their classes quarantined will temporarily go to remote learning, something she feels many will be prepared for this time.
“We’re in a much better situation with the vaccinations and knowing the protocols and what we’re doing with distance learning. But hopefully, we won’t have to go back. That’s my hope,” she said.
Kreidel says she’s asking parents to have their kids bring wipes and sanitizer in addition to their normal school supplies.
“Especially if the Delta variant causes a resurgence of positive cases in the fall. We’re going to need to be really careful. We’re going to need hand soap and sanitizer,” she said.
CCSD will be returning to five days a week, in-person learning starting in August for the next school year.
