Osceola County school to close for 2 weeks after 10 staff members test positive for COVID-19

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Harmony Middle School will close for two weeks after 10 staff members tested positive for the coronavirus this week, the Osceola County School District said Friday.

District officials said all students and teachers who were participating in face-to-face learning will move to digital learning Monday.

Read: 150 people in quarantine from 9 Seminole County schools after possible COVID-19 exposure since school started, district says

Students and teachers may return to face-to-face learning Sept. 14.

The move affects almost 600 students and almost 80 teachers.

Officials said there is no evidence of secondary transmission to students.

“This does not impact those students who have already been engaged in digital learning at Harmony Middle School,” the district said in a statement.

Read: 117 students, staff in quarantine since Orange County Public School classes resumed, district says

Those who have been identified as having possible direct contact with someone who tested positive for the virus are being directly notified, officials said.

“We had students in 6th, 7th and 8th grades who potentially had direct exposure to those teachers,” Superintendent Debra Pace told Channel 9. “One of the individuals was someone who had been substituting across multiple classrooms.”

Read: 150 people in quarantine from 9 Seminole County schools after possible COVID-19 exposure since school started, district says

The school will offer free testing from 9 a.m. till 1 p.m. Saturday.

Check back and watch Channel 9 Eyewitness News for live updates on this developing story. Click here to receive updates on school-related stories.

Cox Media Group