Students will be returning to school Thursday in Colville, Wash., after three days of unplanned break due to the coronavirus.
Officials closed schools in the Northeast Tri County Health District on Monday while testing a person suspected of having the COVID-19 virus.
“Following CDC and Washington State Department of Health guidelines, and in consultation with the Tri County Health Officer, all Colville Schools will start back to school tomorrow, Thursday, March 5th, with a regular school day and normal after school activities,” a release from the school district says.
The release said the district spent the last three days disinfecting schools and investigating possible transmission vectors for the virus from the person with the suspected infection.
“NETCHD has identified and contacted all close contacts of the PUI [person under investigation],” a release from the Northeast Tri County Health District said Wednesday. “All close contacts and the PUI are in isolation, awaiting test results.”
The district is still waiting for those test results.
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The health district says it will continue to provide support and guidance to the school district. It says it has a good idea of any possible exposure risks for locals to the virus.
“The health and safety of the people in the tri-county area remains our top priority,” the release continues. “We need people to help prevent the spread of illness and to support the response to this situation by staying informed and sharing reliable information.”
The district is also holding a special board meeting Friday to discuss resuming practices for spring sports.
Colville is about an hour south of the U.S.-Canada border at Rossland.
reporter@rosslandnews.com
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