3rd New Palestine HS student tests positive for COVID-19, district says
NEW PALESTINE, Ind. (WISH) — A third New Palestine High School student has tested positive for coronavirus, the district said Saturday.
Administrators were notified of the positive test result late Friday. The student who tested positive was last on campus Monday, the first day of school at New Palestine High School.
Another student who had tested positive for the virus attended classes on the first day of school. The family physician who provided the notification of the positive test result for that student included the wrong “return to school” date on the note provided, according to a joint statement from Southern Hancock schools and Hancock Health hospital system.
“Based on sound contact tracing conducted by district officials and nurses, the district has determined Friday’s case is not connected to the NPHS student who tested positive on Monday, August 3,” the district said in a statement sent to News 8.
Families of the students considered to be close contacts of the third COVID-positive student have been notified.
A full sanitization and disinfection of NPHS will take place this weekend and classes will remain as scheduled next week.
The district is reminding families to not send their students to school if they have a confirmed COVID-19 case in their home or if the student is awaiting test results. School officials say students showing any symptoms of COVID-19 should not come to school.
On Aug. 1, school officials confirmed a New Palestine High School football player had tested positive for the virus, days before school started.