Escambia Schools Implementing New Student COVID-19 Quarantine Procedures In January

December 19, 2020

The Escambia County School District has announced new COVID-19 quarantine procedures will go into effect when students return to school next year.

Beginning January 5, students will be able to return to school on the 11th day following an exposure, provided they have no symptoms of COVID-19. Students may return as early as the eighth day after an exposure, if they are having no symptoms and have obtained a negative PCR Molecular COVID-19 test administered on the sixth day (or later) following exposure.

However, students will need to observe the full 14 days of quarantine from extracurricular activities and athletics, according to Superintendent Dr. Tim Smith. He said there may be additional school situations which require students to observe the full 14 days of quarantine from school.

As of Friday, December 18 there were 87 COVID-19 positive students reported in Escambia County. There were 1,337 total students in quarantine due to a positive COVID-19 test, awaiting test results or who have come in close contact with a positive case.

The school district said the changes are to align the school system with the Florida Department of Health an recent COVID-19 quarantine information released by the CDC.

Comments

16 Responses to “Escambia Schools Implementing New Student COVID-19 Quarantine Procedures In January”

  1. David Huie Green on December 22nd, 2020 8:30 pm

    REGARDING:
    “have not heard about flu going around, I guess the virus ate it!”

    Procedures which slow transmission of one virus slow the transmission of other viruses. We have long been able to test for types of flu. We can now test for Coronavirus. They are not just calling flu COVID-19. (That was just another Trump lie.)

    David for truth

  2. Josh Jones on December 21st, 2020 9:41 am

    @Jane Doe
    You are sadly misinformed. Governor DeSantis has stymied efforts to combat the COVID virus: he has forbidden the enforcement of mask wearing, reduced the Dept of Health’s information dissemination on the virus, falsely stated that the vaccines coming to Florida are on hold, and generally followed the “lead” of the president.

    Yes, there are medicines to help cure the virus, but sadly we have over 300,000 souls who have died from COVID-19.

    Follow the CDC recommendations: wash your hands often, don’t touch your face, stay home, stay six feet apart when in crowds, wear a mask.

  3. Jane Doe on December 20th, 2020 3:22 pm

    Good Grief, Children, they say do not die from this stuff, and if they do bring it home there is medicine and other things proven to save lives.Thank goodness we have a great governor who lets the citizens do what they know is best for their family, and does not try to control you. Also, have not heard about flu going around, I guess the virus ate it!

  4. Cynthia G on December 20th, 2020 7:34 am

    My son goes to West Florida Tech School and I am very satisfied with the procedures they follow. They have required mask from day one and enforced that rule. They had/have stricter requirements for team sports players because there is no way to stay 6ft apart and play a team sport. My son has been exposed by students and/or staff, as we don’t know which because they don’t put that information out, but when he’s been exposed & sent home, he attends class remotely. We as parents have to take ownership of what we let our children be exposed to when with us. If you let your child hang out with family and friends and go out and about as if there is no pandemic and don’t require him or her to take any safety precautions, don’t be surprised when you all have been exposed and have to isolate or quarantine when someone test positive. These 10 months have been hard on everyone but I promise you it’s nothing compared to how hard it will be if your child ends up with COVID-19. We have no control over the people in leadership roles and they don’t listen to us, so control what you can and pray on the rest.

  5. Shan on December 20th, 2020 7:15 am

    You all realize that this starts at the top. Students and staff are not required to wear masks. It’s only “suggested”. Parents you are the ppl who can get this to become a requirement. Other than that look at state leadership… Guess they are still looking at herd immunity. Good luck yall.

  6. Curious on December 20th, 2020 12:27 am

    Just curious what school is everyone’s kid going to where they don’t require you to wear a mask?? My daughter goes to Ferry Pass Elementary and I see every single teacher and student wearing masks at all times.

  7. Bratt mom on December 19th, 2020 9:44 pm

    I am very pleased with Bratt elementary, bc they do require masks to be worn when outside the classroom or around other students. And they remind to wash hands and keep your distance as much as possible. Plus the bus drivers have new masks on hand incase the child forgets theirs or don’t have one. We have only had a very few reports of positive tests from either student or staff. And appropriate Steps are immediately taken to inform the parents and cleaning the school/ rooms… I would not want my child anywhere other than where she is now. I love Bratt elementary..

  8. Century dad on December 19th, 2020 8:51 pm

    I have kid in Northview and they do not wear mask because I have told mine to but he tells me no one else is so school are not enforcing to make kids out on mask or go home but yet they care about our kids y’all are full of it. I deal with people in my job every day and they make us wear mask or go home but yet school can’t y’all need to get hard on these kids if they refuse to wear it the make them go home and no work they get zeros for 14 day then let the kid come back and if him or her still will not wear a mask then do it again if they half to repeat the grade oh well

  9. Kathy Brady on December 19th, 2020 8:25 pm

    My middle child does remote through West Pensacola Elem. The kids that are in his class that have went back to school all are seen wearing a mask. I sit with my child all day and observe and the teacher, special area teachers and all students are seen consistently wearing a mask. I have even observed the teacher tell a student numerous times to put their mask back on etc. I would like to Applaud Mrs. Lisa Montgomery at West Pensacola Elementary for The AWESOME Job she has done day in and day out to make this remote school work while she is having kids come back to school. I am amazed at what she does to make it all work. Sometimes she works 3 to 5 computers just so the subjects are organized to help the day go smoothly. She does this and still maintains the day with composure and patience even after dealing with some improper situations with children and even guardians. An EXCELLENT 2ND GRADE TEACHER!!!

  10. Cindy Lou Hollingsworth on December 19th, 2020 7:52 pm

    Stop blaming teachers for things they can’t control. The problem is the Desantis has zero restrictions and it’s up citizens to follow guidelines from the CDC . Maybe stop voting for flabby leaders like Trump, Mitch McConnell, Rick Scott and Desantis.

  11. Confused on December 19th, 2020 7:08 pm

    I don’t know what school the kids are attending where there is not a mask requirement. My 3 kids (elementary, middle and high school) are required to wear a mask. Sooooo make your choices and quit complaining maybe?

  12. No Excuses on December 19th, 2020 5:04 pm

    Students that are quarantined may still attend class remotely. I have several who are doing that now. Not the best situation if you chose traditional for your student, but at least they aren’t missing instruction or the opportunity to keep up. UF they use it.

  13. Molino lady on December 19th, 2020 2:56 pm

    If the school board wants to do something to protect the students, why aren’t the children wearing masks. During the first part of the school year everyone wore masks. My grandson just spent 14 days in quarantine, he goes back to school no one is wearing a mask. What wrong with this picture? Not the students, not the teachers, not the greeters, and not even the police officer. You can bet my grandson will have his on.

  14. Louis on December 19th, 2020 1:37 pm

    Concerned Parent,
    Yet you have the option to keep your child at home and do remote. Instead, you send your child to school, during a pandemic, knowing what the risks are, and still gripe about the risks… please, stop looking for reasons to whine about something and keep your child(ren) home if you don’t like the ever evolving situation with the pandemic.

  15. Concerned parent on December 19th, 2020 11:48 am

    Imagine my frustration when my child goes back to school from quarantine and the same day you are called that your child needs to go home again for another quarantine and go to school to follow protocol to find out a teacher made a mistake. Schools are not requiring kids to use mask, one clear disregard of safety is the seemingly “it’s ok” by teachers. How are you going to give assurance that you are taking every step possible to ensure your child is safe when you foster an environment where not only your child is at risk, but your whole family is at risk because once the child is exposed he/she could be asymptomatic and you also have to quarantine. Some people have to inform their job and in some cases this could impact their salary.
    I’m very concerned due to that even though the district says “ we will take every step to make sure your child is safe” they still do not foster a safe environment. It seems that individuality is what “safety” looks like. Where you let a bunch of inexperienced kids or their uneducated inconsiderate parent, let their kids go to school unprotected. Hence the “do as you want” doctrine. I wonder how many more cases are we going to have next year because of this.

  16. Concerned parent on December 19th, 2020 8:07 am

    Yet Blue Angels Elementary fails to comply with any of the established protocols or procedures. Can’t even clean the rooms on a regular basis appropriate to public health standards.