GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA)- In just a few days students in Greenville County will be walking to class for the first time since shutting down in March, but with a new COVID-19 plan in place.
Tim Waller, Greenville Co. spokesman, has high hopes.
“We’d like to think that we’ll go all year with zero cases of COVID-19,” Waller said.
However, Waller explained as the largest school district in South Carolina, he knows that’s unrealistic.
So they’ve put a plan in place, expecting it to happen.
“As soon as a student, a teacher, a bus driver, a cafeteria worker, literally any staff member, tests positive for COVID-19, we’ll begin a process of contact tracing,” Waller said.
The plan is split into three categories.
The first category is for those who have had close contact with a positive case, meaning they’re six feet or less away from them for at least 15 minutes.
They will be notified and then will have to quarantine for 14 days.
The second category is for those in proximity to the positive case, whether on a bus, athletic field, or in the same classroom.
Their procedures are a little different.
“They don’t have to quarantine, but they will be asked to monitor their health and make sure that they’re not exhibiting any of those COVID-19 conditions,” Waller said.
The third category is an option to get notified when anyone at a Greenville Co. school tests positive.
One Greenville Co. parent, Corrie Ford, said this makes her feel more secure to let her kids in the school building.
“I think it’s an extra layer of security as a parent,” Ford said. “Just being able to have that information right away, knowing if they’ve come in contact with someone. I think that makes me feel good.”
Parents in Greenville Co. can sign up here for emails, texts, or phone calls to get notified when there is a positive case.
