A local elementary school student is among the 36 positive cases of COVID-19 that were reported in Lake County schools this past week.
One student at Fruitland Park Elementary School tested positive Nov. 17 for the potentially deadly virus. That student and eight others, as well as a staff member, were quarantined following the positive test result, a Lake County School District report shows.
The latest positive result at Fruitland Park Elementary follows several others at the facility since school started. Those include:
- In August, a staff member tested positive, forcing the school to conduct a “deep cleaning” in the spaces where the employee worked. About a week later, a student tested positive, which led to three students being quarantined.
- In early September, two students tested positive and 19 were quarantined. About a week later, one staff member tested positive and was subsequently quarantined).
All told in the past week, 29 students and seven employees in Lake County have tested positive for COVID-19. A total of 289 students and 17 employees also are quarantining, the report says.
The other Lake County Schools and Department affected by COVID-19 this past week include:
- Astatula Elementary (one staff member positive and four staff members quarantined);
- Cecil E. Gray Middle (three students positive and 30 students quarantined);
- East Ridge High (two students positive and eight students quarantined);
- East Ridge Middle (three students positive, 79 students quarantined and one staff member quarantined);
- Eustis Elementary (one student positive, 11 students quarantined and one staff member quarantined);
- Eustis High (two students positive, two students quarantined and two staff members quarantined);
- Eustis Middle (one student positive, one student quarantined, one staff member positive and one staff member quarantined);
- Groveland Elementary (three students positive, 24 students quarantined and one staff member quarantined);
- Lake Hills School (one student positive and one student quarantined);
- Lake Technical College (one staff member positive, 21 students and one staff member quarantined);
- Minneola Charter (one staff member positive, 19 students quarantined and four staff members quarantined);
- Mount Dora High (one student positive and 11 students quarantined);
- Mount Dora Middle (two students positive and two students quarantined);
- Pinecrest Lakes Charter (two students positive and 30 students quarantined);
- Sawgrass Bay Elementary (two students positive and 12 students quarantined);
- Sorrento Elementary (one student positive and 11 student quarantined);
- South Lake High (two students positive and 15 students quarantined);
- Tavares Elementary (one student positive and one student quarantined); and
- Tavares High (two students positive and two students quarantined).
The Marion County School District reported 54 new cases of COVID-19 among 29 students and 25 employees. A total of 347 students and 48 employees are in quarantine as a result of direct contact with someone confirmed positive. And 342 students were sent home with symptoms of the fast-spreading virus.
The schools and departments affected by cases in Marion County include:
- Belleview Middle;
- District Office;
- Dr. N. H. Jones Elementary;
- East Marion Elementary;
- Eighth Street Elementary;
- Evergreen Elementary;
- Exceptional Student Education;
- Food Service Department;
- Forest High;
- Fort King Middle;
- Hammett Bowen Elementary;
- Hillcrest;
- Howard Middle;
- Lake Weir High;
- Lake Weir Middle;
- Liberty Middle;
- Madison Street Academy;
- Maplewood Elementary;
- Marion Technical Institute;
- North Marion High;
- Osceola Middle;
- South Ocala Elementary;
- Sunrise Elementary;
- Transportation Department;
- Ward-Highlands Elementary; and
- West Port High.
For the first time since school started in late August, the Sumter School District didn’t report any new cases of COVID-19 among students. So far, the district has identified 62 cases of the virus, with 33 of those being at The Villages Charter School. Other Sumter County schools that have reported cases include Webster Elementary (3), South Sumter Middle (3), South Sumter High (16), Lake Panasoffkee Elementary (3), Wildwood Elementary (2) and the district’s E-Learning program (1).
