GREENVILLE — Amidst Monday’s announcement of four positive COVID-19 cases within the Greenville City School System, assurance was given by the Superintendent’s Office that Greenville City Schools are meeting and surpassing safety measures set forth by the state and local health departments.
Greenville City School District issued the following September 14 press release on its website Monday informing of the known cases involved:
“The Greenville City School District has four confirmed positive COVID-19 cases. Two at the high school building and two at the K-8 building. The local health department has been informed and will do appropriate follow up.
“The individuals are isolated.
“Parents are encouraged to report any positive test, or case of COVID-19, to their school by calling into the building principal or reporting to the building when they call in their child’s absence.
“Known positive COVID-19 tests will be communicated by building, on the district website, if that information is confirmed. It will be reported by building case number only. No identifiable information will be shared or discussed.”
Greenville City School’s Superintendent Doug Fries shared with Darke County Media during a phone conversation that the safety and wellbeing of everyone, students and staff, has been the primary concern over the course of planning for and returning to school.
“We are doing everything we can to follow both local and state health department regulations, guidelines and suggestions to prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19 within our students and staff,” said Fries. “Regulations have been put into place to require students and staff to wear a mask, and Hand Sanitation Stations have been installed throughout all the buildings. Assigned seating and different changes in daily routines have also been implemented to help ensure social distancing throughout the day and to minimize the amount of contact students have with each other.”
Fries added, “We have all necessary PPE and cleaning supplies and have gone above and beyond with the purchase of state-of-the-art UVC equipment to be used to help sterilize and sanitize areas in a diligent manner.”
The UVC equipment referred to are numerous UVC hand wands for use by the maintenance staff and the transportation department to help in the cleaning and sterilization of the school’s buses and classrooms.
Greenville City Schools has also revealed on its website another major step of safety taken by the district in the purchase of four state-of-the-art UVC portable technology lights that can be moved from classroom to classroom that elevate the standards of environmental cleaning and disinfecting strategies in all their buildings. UVC light can safely and effectively eradicate multiple fungi, bacteria, and viruses, including the coronavirus/COVID-19, creating a safer environment for children and staff while learning and instructing.
According to Superintendent Fries, nearly 83 percent of the district’s population elected to return to school with only about 455 students choosing to opt-out in favour of remote learning.
“We are doing all that we can to cater to and ensure the safest and best education for all our students. However, I can’t emphasize enough that students, staff and parents need to continue practicing social distancing, wearing of masks and hand washing. Not only while at school, but at home too,” said Fries.
