Wisconsin

Parents Knowingly Sent Kids With Coronavirus to School, Wisconsin Officials Say

“A handful of irresponsible parents could be responsible for closing down entire school districts,” the Washington-Ozaukee public health director said

School supplies in time of covid
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Parents are knowingly sending their children who have coronavirus back to classes in Wisconsin, health officials said on Thursday, which could lead to potential school district shutdowns.

“The health department has worked with school districts since spring to make a plan to reopen,” Kirsten Johnson, Washington-Ozaukee public health director, told NBC News. “Never in a million years did we imagine or think to account for parents deliberately sending their sick or symptomatic child to school.”

In Washington and Ozaukee counties, which sit right above Milwaukee, there is a patchwork of fall reopening plans. Johnson said that while many schools offered students the option to go to school five days a week, all of them have been “proactive” in implementing preventative measures like staggered start times, reduced classroom capacity, and required face coverings.

More than two dozen schools in the counties are under investigation where at least one student or staff member has tested positive for Covid-19, according to the Washington-Ozaukee Public Health Department’s dashboard. Out of the 15 school districts, 11 are currently under investigation.

There has been at least one positive or suspected case in all school districts, according to Johnson.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com

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