SJO student tests positive for COVID-19

A student at St. Joseph-Ogden High School has tested positive for COVID-19.

Superintendent Brian Brooks said the student tested positive over the weekend.

Brooks said that due to the timing of the positive test, the timing of the student’s original exposure and the fact that students had not been in school since Thursday, the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District had no concerns about any further student or staff exposure at the school from this particular case. The school also disinfects classrooms every night.

Brooks said four students who were identified as having prolonged close contact to the positive student have been placed in a 14 day quarantine to assist in preventing the further spread of COVID-19. The positive student will also be quarantining for 14 days.
Brooks said that having a student test positive was not unexpected.

“Our parents have been outstanding in regards to understanding the protocols we have to take, and the Health Department has been very helpful and responsive,” he said. “This was to be expected when you’re dealing with a virus like this that spreads so easily, which is why it is very important to stick to the procedures that are in place and continue to stay in contact with the Health Department to stay up to speed on any changes that are made.”

Brooks said despite the positive COVID-19 test, the start of the school year has went very well.

“Students and parents have been outstanding. Our teachers have been outstanding under very difficult circumstances. Our support staff has been extraordinary,” he said.

Brooks said the district remains hopeful that they will be able to safety have all students at the school every day at some point.
“We are evaluating things every day trying to find creative ways in which we could get more students into a classroom with social distancing, different ways to do lunch if we had more students,” he said. “I feel that the every other day in-person instruction schedule has probably gone as well or better than we could have expected, which is a huge credit to our students and teachers, but it is still not as good for our students academically or socially as students being in school every day.”