Alachua County Public Schools had 138 students and faculty in quarantine as of Tuesday night — a decrease of about 20 since April 21, according to the school district’s COVID-19 dashboard.
Under the district’s protocol, those in quarantine reflect positive COVID-19 cases and people who had significant contact with someone who tested positive.
As of Tuesday night, there are eight students and three staff members who reported a positive test result to ACPS in the past 10 days.
The decrease comes amid the decision to make facial coverings optional both inside and out on ACPS campuses beginning this summer.
COVID-19 vaccination sites opened at Buchholz and Gainesville High School on April 22, offering their staff members, students and Digital Academy students who are at least 16 years old the opportunity to get the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
The Food and Drug Administration authorized the Pfizer vaccine for children between the ages of 12 and 15 years old on Monday, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the decision Wednesday afternoon.
“We have already been working with the Alachua County Health Department to schedule additional clinics at our high schools and new clinics at our middle schools so that we can get all students 12 and up vaccinated between now and the end of the school year,” she said.
Students ages 12 to 17 must have a consent form signed by a parent or guardian for each dose of the vaccine, but students 18 and older may sign their own forms, according to the ACPS website.
Johnson said every family who has a student in the ACPS system received information Tuesday afternoon about the updated vaccination information so parents can have their children fully vaccinated before the end of the school year.
Vaccination sites at Buccholz and Gainesville High Schools can begin administering the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine on May 13 to the students 16 and up who received their first doses on April 22. These sites will also begin administering the first dose of the vaccine to any students between the ages of 12 and 15 who choose to receive it, she said.
“If cases keep going down and the number of vaccinations keep going up, the better chances we have of having a more normal school year in 2021,” Johnson said.
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In elementary schools, there are four student cases and zero staff cases, as of Tuesday night. Glen Springs Elementary: 1 student Lake Forest Elementary: 1 student Wiles Elementary: 2 students In middle schools, there are three student cases and one staff case, as of Tuesday night. Bishop Middle School: 1 student Kanapaha Middle School: 1 student Mebane Middle School: 1 student Oak View Middle School: 1 staff In high schools, there is one student case and zero staff cases, as of Tuesday night. Gainesville High: 1 student |
Contact Abigail Hasebroock at ahasebroock@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @abbeyhasebroock.
Abigail is a second-year journalism major covering university general assignment news for The Alligator. When she’s not catching up on school or reporting, she’s spending time outside, reading or reorganizing her Spotify playlists - usually all at the same time.
