Mission Vista High School staff notified guardians Sunday that a second student has tested positive for the novel coronavirus while assuring families it was safe for classes to resume on Monday.
The student tested positive and likely contracted the virus while traveling with an athletic team not affiliated with the school, the Vista Unified School District said. The case is unrelated to the school's first positive case made public last week.
VUSD said the student attended classes on Monday through Thursday. They were notified of the positive result on Sunday and immediately contacted San Diego County public health officials to begin an investigation, VUSD said.
At least 150 students and four administrators were notified they would need to quarantine for 14 days because they may have come into close contact with the infected student. Another 134 students and staff members were already under a 14-day quarantine for their potential exposure to the other infected individual last week.
"I understand that news of a second positive case may be concerning to some of our Classic families; however, the number of incidences at MVHS remains below CDHP's threshold of 5% positive cases prior to school closures," Interim Principal Jeremy Walden said in an email to families.
A separate email from the Vista Unified School District said, "School leaders, in conjunction with public health officials, have determined there is no need at this time to close our school. We have cleaned and disinfected, as appropriate, and our campus has been deemed safe for occupancy."
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As in the first case, the classes with students who are asked to quarantine will be turned into distance learning classes, according to VUSD.
The VUSD said in their email that all students and staff should "consider ourselves as being potentially exposed," and asked guardians to be on the lookout for symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of break, sore throat, muscle aches and loss of smell or taste.
Last week, about 130 students and four staff members were told to quarantine because they may have come in close contact with an infected student during four classes on Tuesday. The student was given a positive COVID-19 diagnosis on Wednesday night.
VUSD made the decision to implement a 14-day quarantine in accordance with the COVID-19 Decision Tree, VUSD said. The decision tree keeps track of any student or staff member in any of the following three categories:
- Students or staff members experiencing symptoms
- Students or staff members who have had close contact with a person confirmed to have COVID-19 Students or
- Staff members who are COVID-19 positive
VUSD opened campus for in-class instruction on October 20.
According to the district's plan posted on its website, there is enhanced sanitation, additional handwashing stations, specific entrances and exits, and students and staff are required to wear masks.
To view more information about VUSD's health and safety page, click here.
