Schools in Union and Iredell report COVID-19 cases during 1st week back

School officials in Union and Iredell counties have reported COVID-19 cases during the first week of in-person instruction for students and teachers.

In Union County, two staff members at Poplin Elementary tested positive and may have exposed other employees, the district said. The school will be closed to students and staff from Aug. 20 to Sept. 7, and all students and employees will work remotely until the building reopens.

One student at Weddington High School also tested positive, the district said Thursday in a letter to parents.

Both buildings will be cleaned and sanitized. The district said it was working to identify close contacts of the individuals and that parents will be notified if their child had direct contact with anyone who tested positive.

The positive coronavirus tests come amid strong opposition from teachers to reopening for in-person instruction. Over the weekend, teachers marched outside the Union County superintendent’s house, protesting the reopening plans and citing safety concerns with returning to school buildings.

Some districts, including Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, have opted for virtual-only instruction, which began Monday.

Elementary school COVID-19 case

Iredell-Statesville Schools reported on Thursday that a person at West Iredell High School tested positive for COVID-19. On Wednesday, the district said one person at Lake Norman Elementary School tested positive and had not been on campus since Aug. 14.

In its news releases, the district said that no one was deemed to have been in close contact with either of the individuals due to safety measures taken and social distancing, and that the schools would remain open.

WBTV, the Observer’s news partner, reported this week on another case in the district, at Third Creek Middle School. The station reported that the person who tested positive had not been in the building since Aug. 13 and that close contacts were notified. The school required 7th-grade students and teachers to begin the year remotely.

Iredell-Statesville Schools did not say whether the individuals who tested positive were students or employees.

This story was originally published August 20, 2020 at 11:25 AM.