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Three Escambia Students COVID-19 Positive At Ransom, Jim Bailey And Ensley; 113 Students Possibly Exposed
August 29, 2020
After one week of school, the Escambia County School District reports three positive COVID-19 cases among students.
One case each was reported at Ransom Middle School, Jim Bailey Middle School and Ensley Elementary School.
A total of 113 students have been identified as exposed to the positive students as of Friday afternoon. The families of the students received specific contact from the schools, but parents of the entire student body at the three schools were also notified “in an abundance of caution and transparency”, according Escambia County School District Health Services Director Martha Hanna.
In Escambia County, any student who is determined to have had close contact with a COVID-19 case can’t return to school for two weeks. The students are able to continue with remote learning while out of school.
At Ransom Middle School, parents of students with close classroom contact received a letter (pictured here). The letter stated the students were last exposed on Thursday, August 27. Parents were instructed not to send those students back until September 14.
Pictured: A letter sent to parents of Ransom Middle School Students that were exposed to a COVID-19 positive student. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Comments
22 Responses to “Three Escambia Students COVID-19 Positive At Ransom, Jim Bailey And Ensley; 113 Students Possibly Exposed”
it seems to me that the children need to be in school, if only to keep them off the streets. They might accidentally learn something ,such as how to respect people and their property,how to respect our flag and the countless number of brave men and women who have given their lives to protect our constitution.
@Daycare Worker:
Judgmental much? I am a teacher in the Escambia School District. I am not a union member for them, although I have been a union member in the past for another organization. I am not complaining or pitching a fit, and neither are most of my coworkers. A few have quit or have moved elsewhere, but we are doing our jobs to the best of our ability in this current situation.
To the parent who was complaining about teachers being late, etc., PLEASE be patient!!! We are building this bicycle while we are riding it, and there are bound to be issues along the way. You child’s teachers are working hard to ensure she gets what she needs. Trust me, I am in a position to know! Sometimes, people expect us to be superhuman. We’re not! We’re overwhelmed, tired, and frustrated, JUST LIKE YOU. Stop complaining. It does NOTHING to better the situation.
Rant over. Get over it folks. Whatever our opinion about the current situation, at least you got a choice about sending your kids to school or having the virtual or remote. We, the teachers, don’t have a choice. Show up or find another job. That lets us know where we rank in the scheme of things.
In Florida schools started opening just over two weeks ago and there’s been a 23% increase in cases in kids. Granted, most of those will likely not be severe and many will have no symptoms. But that IS the problem; kids carry a heavier virus load, so are efficient spreaders even if they are asymptomatic. They can spread to parents who spread it at work, the store, etc. For those who throw out other illness, such as flu, as reason not to wear a mask, realize that COVID-19 is in ADDITION to all those winter bugs and can result in lifelong health issues. Even a mild case of this virus weakens the immune system, making it even more likely to catch something else, like flu, pneumonia, etc. To say you won’t wear a mask because you could catch something else is like saying you don’t wear a seatbelt because you stop at traffic lights.
Folks think about this Covid is a virus. We can not effectually vaccinate against a virus. Ex the flu, or colds. We can do our part to help mitigate the large scale spread but like colds and the flu it will always be here. We will have Covid season just like flu season. As heartbreaking as it is for those that have lost loved ones life does go on and we must too. Closing down anything only creates more uncertainty and puts everyone further behind. Schools are doing the best they can. As a parent with 3 students in 3 different schools I can say I feel they’re doing all they can do to protect and still educate our students. Mask or no mask it’s whatever. Wash your hands, don’t share personal items, food or drinks.
Good luck y’all! My child has been marked absent 3 times last week. We’ve asked why and still no answer. She has been online and ready before classes start. Most the time the teachers are late.
My 2 year old has been in daycare throughout this pandemic.. No mask, no social distancing, and no drama. These kids at daycare play, eat, sleep, and go potty with each other allll day long throughout the pandemic. 2 year olds are not the most sanitary. These daycare employees deserve a hero’s applause, because none of them threw a tantrum like these teachers. One big difference, teachers belong to a union that is political, and daycare workers do not. That says it all. Thanks to all of you daycare workers, you deserve teachers pay.
This comment is to Chris… not every parent has an option about sending their kids to traditional vs remote learning. You may feel that in your heart but before making blanket statements that come from your heart, open your heart to see others situations!!
To Neighbor on August 29th, 2020 8:09 pm
Yes, we want you to wear a mask to protect our health. If you have plague we want you to stay home. If you have AIDS and you know it, use condoms otherwise you are a bioterrorist. I don’t need you to jog to protect my health, I want you to not put at risk MY health.
A general note. All these swaggering “my freedom” folks will run to the hospitals once they are sick. They will demand the despised government to pay to cure them. Ignorance is not a bliss, it’s a curse in this country. Look at the numbers. And if some of these ignorants start to shout it’s the greatest country, it’s not them who make it great. They are a drag who keeps this country from being the greatest.
Chris, not everyone has internet. Virtual you can do the work offline but you have to have internet to download work and submit it. Remote Learning you are on the internet at all times. To have your kids do original it could be up to 2 weeks to get everything finalized.
Once again all you mask deniers…where in your limited thinking do you not understand why medical people have and continue to wear masks in medical settings such as surgery?! Those type masks are not air tight either and much the same as the disposable masks you find people using against the pandemic. So I again challenge any of you deniers to have your next surgical or similar procedure and demand that the surgeon and nurses in the operating room throw away their masks cause it doesn’t protect you from their germs! And to those who talk about “it’s only 3 students,” ….disease spreading 101 is that it begins with a single person or few people and spreads rapidly as multiples of people those people come in contact with are infected..who then spread it to other multiples and so on. I’d wager in-school instruction will probably not last through another few weeks. Oh and to “neighbor” do you actually understand what an “analogy” is…since you attempted to offer one? You jogging can in no way affect my weight, but you wearing a mask can keep your germs out of my space if we are close on the same area. Nice attempt but you just publicly displayed your lack of basic knowledge in this regard.
For all of you that want me to wear a mask to protect your health. Do you want me to jog to help you lose weight too?
I am sorry but saying it is irresponsible of the school board to open schools is kind of stupid. Every student has the option to stay home and do remote learning. The school board is not subjecting your child to anything. If you send your child to school you’re the one doing that.
nothing is perfect except for Jesus and look what they did to him, the point is is nothing is 100% but masks are better than no masks.
Does anyone realize how many students are out during flu season? No, because it is not counted and reported. I have seen classrooms with less than half the class in attendace….all others out with the flu. We use to have chicken pox break outs and it would run rampant through our schools. Sorry folks, we are going to have kids test positive for COVID. It is a virus and one that is contagious. Shutting schools down is just insane to me…..unless yoy are going to shut them down when head lice breaks out or the flu or strep is running rampant.
Just a refresher for all of the “anti-maskers.”
No, a mask is not a 100% solution.
It is a risk mitigator. That means it helps control the spread.
I am sorry you can’t understand this fact.
Escambia County School District has over 40,000 students, over 5,000 teachers, not to mention thousands of non-instructional personnel. THREE cases of Covid have been identified, THREE. Exposed does not mean infected. I doubt any of the THREE students became infected at school. I wonder how many of the thousands of remote or virtual students have contracted Covid. We’ll never see that number.
@Kevin
Wearing a mask isn’t perfect, but it does reduce your transmission rate.
This is corroborated by the Center for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, American Medical Association, the American Association of Pediatrics, the American Hospital Association, the American Nurses Association, and (finally!) the White House.
Let’s say nearly every medical community on the face of the planet is wrong. Let’s say wearing a mask does nothing. Let’s say that the doctors and nurses that spent 10-14 years in school learning their field have no idea what they are talking about. I’ll still sleep easy at night knowing that I chose to wear a mask out of love for my neighbors. I’d rather have that on my conscience than knowing that my laziness and inconsideration may have gotten someone killed.
File under
“What Did You Expect?”
and cross reference with
“This Will Get Much Worse.”
Can’t decide which of the two official Malcolm Thomas statements were my favorite this past week: the idea that the covid positive child in Ensley required no contact quarantining, or the fact that Escambia County School System claims to be shocked that parents sent their potentially positive and/or symptomatic children to school.
I was going to send in a question for the school board candidates on just how crazy each of them would let covid spread get in our schools before recognizing that we’re not ready for brick and mortar in Pensacola. In the end I didn’t bother, as I knew they wouldn’t ask it anyway.
So lets see. Wear a mask. Every were you go were a mask. Dont work does it. Of course not because if that mask isnt perfectly molded to fit your face guess what? Its ineffective. But the government has you believing otherwise
Are the school age siblings of infected students also quarantined?
There is no way these kids contracted the virus at school. These kids had to have been exposed prior to school starting to be positive now. If your kid is showing symptoms or even if you get tested for the hell of it, DO NOT SEND YOUR KID TO SCHOOL UNTIL YOU GET THE DAMN RESULTS OR YOUR KID NO LONGER SHOWS SYMPTOMS. Use common sense parents!
What was expected, sending children back to school during a pandemic is irresponsible. Shame on Escambia County, officials and parents thinking it would be OK.