AVON— Some parents and teachers are worried about the guidelines set in place for contact tracing after a positive COVID-19 case at a school.
Some districts already returning to in-person learning, like Brownsburg, Avon, and Greenfield, have already had students test positive for COVID-19. District leaders at these schools say they are working with the health department to notify families and reach out separately to those who may have been in close contact with the person who tested positive.
Suzy Lebo, the president of the Avon Federation of Teachers, says they have a lot of concerns about staff members testing positive. She says the definition of close contact is concerning to her, as only certain people who interacted with the staff member were told to stay home.
Searchable Database | Tracking COVID-19 at central Indiana Schools
"It scares me every day for our staff and for our students," Lebo said.
Close contact is defined by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention as spending more than 15 minutes within a six-foot radius of someone with COVID-19.
"In that case, if I had been next to your child for three, five-minute time frames and I test positive, then that is not considered close contact for your child and they will continue to stay at school," Lebo said.
In a situation like that, Lebo said parents have the option to keep their kids home and self-quarantine, but it is not required. She hopes school districts throughout central Indiana will create stricter guidelines for who is required to quarantine after being exposed to someone with COVID-19.
"It's inevitable that our high school and probably middle schools will have cases that will pop up within the next month," Lebo said.
The Hendricks Count Health Department says those who had contact with the infected person for fewer than 15 minutes have much lower risk of contracting the virus.
